Music Technology Higher Practise Questions

Example of Question type 5

This question features three excerpts of music from the same genre.
(Webern Symphony, Op 21 (1st 30 sec))
a) Listen to this excerpt and identify two terms from the list below which describe what you
hear. The excerpt will be played twice.
World Music

New Wave

Cross Rhythms

Atonal

20th & 21st Century Classical

Harmonics

Through-Composed

(Claude Debussy - Arabesque No.1)

b) Listen to this excerpt of a solo piano and describe in detail a stereo micing technique
you would use to achieve a similar recording. Justify your choice.
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(JOHN CAGE - Sonata for Clarinet)

c) Listen to this excerpt, and follow the clarinet part printed below. Do not attempt to write
during this first playing.

There are articulation marks missing from the printed music.

You will hear the excerpt a further twice and you should name a type of articulation mark
which is missing from the printed music.
Here is the music for the first time.
Here is the music for the second time.
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d) Name the genre used for the last 3 excerpts.

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Exemplar Question 7s
In this question you will hear an excerpt from Blue Monday by New Order.
You must identify five musical/production features present in the music, from the ten listed
below.
You will hear the music three times, with a pause of 15 seconds between each playing.
You now have 1 minute to read through the question. After the three playings, you will
have 5 minutes to write your answers.
Here is the music for the first time.
Here is the music for the second time.
Here is the music for the third time.
Electric Guitar playing harmonics

Octave leap riff played on bass guitar

Off beat handclaps panned centre with

reverb

Modulation to the relative major

Electric Guitar playing harmonics

Octave leap riff played on bass guitar

Synthesizer ostinato with portamento

Semiquaver kick drum rhythm on drum

machine

Cross fade

String synthesizer play sustained notes

Male vocal with delay panned centre

Vocal countermelody with reverb

Sweet Dreams are made of these - 0:00 - 1.00

Jazz funk style

Gated reverb on snare drum

Bass drum with reverb on 1st beat of the

bar

Brass off beat rhythms

Distorted lead guitar

Synthesizer ostinato with delay and

automated panning

Voices in harmony panned centre

Chromatic scale on synthesizer

Bass guitar with harmonics panned left

New Wave Style

Shine on by Jazz Funk - Incognito (0:00 - 1:00)

Electric Guitar playing harmonics

Drumkit fill with automated panning from

right to left

Octave leap sythesizer with phase effect

Modulation to the relative major

Synthesizer ostinato with portamento

Trumpet solo with chorus

Jazz Funk Style

Bass Guitar riff with little release on notes

Saxophone solo with reverb

Indie Style

Microphone placement questions

For the following scenarios give a description of how you would do the following.
Stereo Micing for the following

Scenario

Small Choir

String Quartet

Solo Piano

Large ensemble

Drumkit

Solo Instrument

Stereo Micing
Technique

Type of
microphone
used

Distance from
source

Close Micing for the following

Instrument
Saxophone

Voice

Violin
Acoustic guitar
Bass guitar

Flute

Bass drum

Microphone Type

Placement/Distance