Music study guides

An overview of the Composing strand of Singapore O-Level Music (SEAB 6085), part of the Creating area of the coursework. How melody writing, harmonising a melody with primary chords, building accompaniment textures, structuring a short piece and writing idiomatically for voices and instruments fit together into a complete, coherent composition.

An overview of the Elements of Music and Notation foundations for Singapore O-Level Music (SEAB 6085): reading and writing pitch on the treble and bass staves, rhythm and time signatures, major and minor keys and scales, intervals and the four triad types, and the dynamic, articulation and tempo markings. This vocabulary underpins listening, composing and performing.

An overview of the Listening and Analysis strand of Singapore O-Level Music (SEAB 6085), the focus of the written listening paper (Paper 1). How to identify musical elements by ear, describe melody and harmony precisely, recognise textures and instruments, identify common forms, and compare and contextualise two extracts using audible evidence across the five Areas of Study.

An overview of the Music of Singapore and Asia strand of Singapore O-Level Music (SEAB 6085), part of the Asian Music Area of Study. The Chinese orchestra and silk-and-bamboo ensemble, the Indonesian gamelan, Indian classical raga and tala, Malay and Nusantara traditions such as kompang and dikir barat, and how these traditions coexist and fuse in Singapore's multicultural soundscape.

An overview of the Performing strand of Singapore O-Level Music (SEAB 6085), assessed through coursework alongside composing. How technical control and tone, expressive phrasing and dynamics, interpreting a piece in its style and period, and ensemble and rehearsal skills combine into a convincing performance that goes beyond playing the right notes.

An overview of the Western Classical Music strand of Singapore O-Level Music (SEAB 6085), one of the five Areas of Study. The Baroque style and concerto grosso, the Classical style and sonata form, the growth of the orchestra, Romantic character pieces and art song, and the twentieth-century break from common-practice tonality, with the listening cues that identify each period.

An overview of the World and Popular Music strand of Singapore O-Level Music (SEAB 6085), spanning the Jazz, Popular Music and Music in Multimedia Areas of Study. The foundations of blues and jazz, the structure and instrumentation of popular song, the rock band and its sound, electronic and dance music, and how music works in film and other functional settings, with the listening cues for each.