Bill Baileys Remarkable Guide to the Orchestra

Learning objectives:
-

To begin to understand the uses of an orchestra in various contexts

To develop an understanding of individual instruments and families
To develop our understanding of musical periods

The first piece of music that you hear playing in the opening credits is Also Sprach
Zarathustra

What instrument is playing the main theme?__________________________

What tuned percussive instrument features heavily in this piece?

_________________________

How would you describe the texture, tonality and dynamics throughout this
piece?
_________________________________________________________________________________
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What instrument is Bill Bailey playing when the final chord is played?
______________________

Flute

What instrument family does the Flute belong to?__________________________

What is the tonality of the melody that is being played?_____________________

(major/minor/chromatic)

Oboe

The Oboe is a ___________________ instrument.

What instrument family does the Oboe belong to?__________________________

What is the tonality of the melody that is being played?_____________________

(major/minor/chromatic)

Classical Period
GCSE Music Listening and Appraising Music (2013). NGarbett

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When was the Classical Period? ________ - _________

What characterised the Classical Period?

________________________________________________

Clarinet

What instrument family does the Clarinet belong to?__________________________

What instrument family does this belong to?__________________________

Bassoon (Stripping back the Ensemble)

Bassoon players love the Bee

Gees!!!

What is the tonality of this excerpt?_____________________

(major/minor/chromatic)

Circle the appropriate term to describe what the cello/double basses are
playing
Ground bass

Sequence

Chromatic

Ostinato

What period would you associate this piece of music with? (Circle)
Baroque

Classical

Romantic

20th Century

The Jellyfish!

Bill Bailey plays the Theremin. What two things can you change to alter the
timbre of the instrument? Think basic elements of music!
P_______________ and D________________

Strings

What is does pizzicato mean?________________ style

What is the tonality of this excerpt?_____________________

(major/minor/chromatic)

What percussion instrument is accompanying in the background?

_________________________

What is the timbre of the Xylophone? _________________________________

GCSE Music Listening and Appraising Music (2013). NGarbett

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Trombone

What instrument family does the Trombone belong to?

__________________________

How do you change the pitch on a Trombone?

___________________________________________

What is the effect created when the trombone slide changes pitch? P o r _ _ m e
n__

Bill Bailey plays the Keyboard

Good guys Major

Perfect V (fifth) interval

Bad guys Minor

Augmented IV (fourth) interval

How does the music support the cops and robbers story? Think about the
following...
genre/timbre/tonality/dynamics/rhythm/specific instrument
techniques

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In the Cuban section, what two instruments/families are most prominent?

_____________________ and ________________________

TV/Film Themes

Name one famous composer of film music from the 20th/21st

Century________________________

Which film composer uses Leitmotifs in his work?

________________________________________

What is a Leitmotif and how does it relate to film music?

GCSE Music Listening and Appraising Music (2013). NGarbett

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What device does John Williams use to emphasis the difference between the
fanfare and the soaring strings? Call and ______________?

What is the tonality of the TV News Theme, The Mission?

____________________ (major/minor/chromatic)

Dr Who

What other instruments join Bill Bailey in the opening of the Jazz version of the
Dr Who theme?

______________________________________________________________________________________

Which instruments improvise?

_______________________________________________________

The Swan

What is the timbre of the alpine cow bells? ____________________________

What family does the piano belong to? (this is a tricky one!)
________________________________

How is the piano playing the accompaniment? Arp________________ or (broken

chords)

The Insects

The violins are using their bows to create a tre_____________ effect.

The final 3 chords of Insect Nation ends on a tierce de Picardie. This means
that it moves from a minor tonality to a major tonality giving a sense of
completion! Remember major -> minor.

GCSE Music Listening and Appraising Music (2013). NGarbett

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