Listening to a Whole Piece and Saying What Happens · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Say what the music actually did

Arts & Music · Music · ages 14-16
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. The beat speeds up and the music grows louder. Which description fits?

    • Tempo rises and dynamics grow louder
    • Dynamics rise and texture thins
    • Tempo holds and instruments change

  2. What order should a report follow when describing what happened in a piece?

    • The alphabetical sequence of instrument names
    • The sequence of preferences, from favourite to least liked
    • The sequence of musical events from start to finish

  3. Saying only whether you liked a piece counts as describing its musical events.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. One tune continues at the same speed and volume. A different tune enters alongside it. What happens to the texture?

    • It thins as the first tune stops
    • It thickens as a distinct tune joins
    • It disappears as both tunes fall silent

  5. Halfway through a piece, the drums stop and only a violin continues. The beat stays steady. What explains this turning point?

    • The drums stop, leaving the violin alone
    • The beat speeds up as the violin continues
    • A singer enters to join the violin

  6. After a loud full-group section, the main tune returns softly on flute alone. Which judgement uses a supplied musical event as evidence?

    • It felt busy because new instruments joined.
    • It felt rushed because the beat sped up.
    • It felt gentle because the flute played softly.

  7. Listening notes say: the beat stays steady, flutes replace violins, and the opening tune returns. Which summary matches all three?

    • Tempo stays steady; instruments change; the tune returns.
    • Tempo speeds up; instruments stay the same; the tune returns.
    • Tempo holds; instruments change; the tune is new.

  8. A report covers the opening, a new entry and a change in that order. It omits the opening tune's later return. What would improve the report?

    • Replace the events with a guess about the composer
    • Add the return at its actual later point
    • Group the return with the opening to show their similarity
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Say what the music actually did W1-mt_rtquCTEn0v-s1

  1. Tempo rises and dynamics grow louder · The faster beat changes tempo. Greater loudness changes dynamics.
  2. The sequence of musical events from start to finish · A report of what happened follows the musical events from the opening to the ending.
  3. False · A preference gives your response. Describing musical events also names what happened.
  4. It thickens as a distinct tune joins · The original tune continues while a different tune joins it, adding a distinct musical layer.
  5. The drums stop, leaving the violin alone · The drums leave and the violin remains alone. The change comes from a layer dropping out, not a faster beat.
  6. It felt gentle because the flute played softly. · The soft flute is a supplied musical event. It can support the listener's judgement that the return felt gentle.
  7. Tempo stays steady; instruments change; the tune returns. · A steady beat means unchanged tempo. Flutes replacing violins changes instrumentation. The opening tune coming back is a return.
  8. Add the return at its actual later point · The later return belongs after the events that came before it. A report need not stop after three moments.
Worksheet · LightMySky