A Level AQA Student Guide to Strand C: Piano Music of Chopin Brahms and Grieg

A stimulating resource... provides content and exercises that will take them through successive steps in order to achieve

E Russell, Teacher & Peer Reviewer
Includes:
  • Melody
  • Harmony
  • Tonality
  • Structure
  • Sonority, Dynamics and Articulation
  • Texture
  • Tempo, Metre and Rhythm


Hone students’ key skills, knowledge and exam technique for Section A Listening with these wide-ranging guides. Each provides key contextual information, breakdown of musical elements, activities and exam practice. Use as classroom support or homework, or for revision to build familiarity with unfamiliar pieces. The results will be music to your ears!


Engage:
  • Contextual information about the period and key composers provides a foundation for study.
  • Thorough analysis structured around AQA’s musical elements ensures all key areas are covered – with annotated score extracts from relevant pieces throughout.
  • Interspersed technical terms make sure students are familiar with essential concepts.
  • Listening and composition activities consolidate knowledge.

An excellent introduction to the main features of the piano music of Chopin, Brahms and Grieg, not only preparing for the broader cultural understanding required for the 10 marker extended question, but also it is very helpful to have an overview of the fingerprints of the style so the students can be alert to the type of short questions...

D Adamson, Teacher & Peer Reviewer
Revise:
  • Student-friendly introduction to the exam shows students exactly what to expect.
  • Concise revision summaries and exam-style questions with indicative content build confidence in the run-up to the exam!


Strand C: Piano Music of Chopin, Brahms and Grieg

Explore this exciting period of musical history and prepare students for the exam with analyses that ‘are always written within the context of the specification’ – T Murphy, Music Teacher and Independent Reviewer


What do teachers say about this resource? (8401)

A detailed analysis, with regular references to exam contexts... The example essays were very useful and break down of the mark scheme.

J Wren, Teacher & Customer

I like this resource very much... Dividing the resource clearly into the musical elements was literally ‘music to my ears’. After years of teaching music I find the difficulty students often have in responding to exam questions is differentiating between the different musical elements. Once they have a firm grip on what each mean and the terminology associated with each element, they are then ready to access the exam paper... I thereafter liked the examples to illustrate each music element and the way in which comparisons were made between the three composers. The resource was an excellent introduction to the main features of the piano music of Chopin, Brahms and Grieg, not only preparing for the broader cultural understanding required for the 10 marker extended question, but also it is very helpful to have an overview of the fingerprints of the style so the students can be alert to the type of short questions... It is the type of resource that goes beyond the teaching resources already provided by AQA!

D Adamson, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

An interesting, well presented and useful resource that matches the specification well and sets out its objectives clearly... It presents information about Chopin, Brahms and Grieg in a manner that is pitched appropriately for A Level study and promotes independent learning... The choice of repertoire is excellent and valuable to students of those composers... This is a very educational resource and it enhances learning in a variety of ways. Its comprehensive nature and variety in its presentation make it both a great foundation to student learning and a stimulating resource to have around... This resource considers what students need to learn for their unfamiliar listening tasks and provides content and exercises that will take them through successive steps in order to achieve what is required.

E Russell, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

There are some good exercises to use.