Listen to “Hornpipe” from G.F. Handel’s Water Music using the audio in the online lesson. Then look at the chart and see if you agree with the ratings for this piece. Ratings range from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest rating and 5 being the highest. This activity will give you a chance to practice identifying musical styles.
| Criteria | Rating |
| The musicians played in tune. | 5 |
| The musicians played together in time. | 5 |
| The melody could be heard over the background. | 4 |
| The musicians paid attention to loud and soft dynamics. | 4 |
| The music was played cleanly. | 5 |
| I enjoyed listening to this piece of music. | 5 |
| I would like to listen to this piece of music again. | 4 |
Now listen to the music samples in the online lesson and answer the questions. When you have finished, submit this assignment to your teacher by the due date for full credit.
(5 points)
| Score |
| 4 |
- Listen to Sample 1: “Mambo Boogie.” What are your overall feelings regarding this piece? Use specific musical language to describe your feelings. Then fill out the chart.
Answer: The notes of the song had a perfect balance of high and low notes, which have been played in perfect harmony and repetition to make for a jolly jazz music. The rhythm of the music was highly fast paced, which was uplifting, and would make someone want to dance to the tune of it. it is also important to note that the trumpet sound added to the fun nature of the song, which further conveyed a feeling of jolliness in the song.
| Criteria | Rating | Describe why you chose the rating you did. |
| The musicians played in tune. | 5 | The tune in the music was perfectly melodious and the song never had its tune disrupted. |
| The musicians played together in time. | 4 | There were some problems in coordination in rhythm and beats towards the end. |
| The melody could be heard over the background. | 3 | The actual melody of the song cannot be heard over the loud trumpet in a distinct manner. |
| The musicians paid attention to loud and soft dynamics. | 5 | The musicians paid attention to loud and soft dynamics perfectly during transitions. |
| The music was played cleanly. | 4 | It sounded as if the trumpet was supposed to be the major instrument, but other instruments were played as if they were disrupting it. |
| I enjoyed listening to this piece of music. | 4 | The music was catchy, and fun to listen to. |
| I would like to listen to this piece of music again. | 4 | Given the drawbacks, I might just reconsider listening to the music again, if it is not for the fun nature of the music. |
(5 points)
| Score |
| 5 |
- Listen to Sample 2: “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” What are your overall feelings regarding this piece? Use specific musical language to describe your feelings. Then fill out the chart.
Answer: This music from Grieg, is one of the most popular music in the history of music. The notes have been played in G-minor, which gives off the feeling of thrill and suspense. The trumpet sound added the fun element in the music. Otherwise, it would have been only thrill and suspense. Therefore, it can be said that the music gives off a lot of feelings, which makes it interesting to listen to. The rhythm of the song slowly picked up after the middle part, which makes the blood rush more towards the closure of the music. The beats were particularly rhythmic and repetitive, which is the reason why there is a sense of perfect harmony in the music. Overall, there is no distinct flaw that could be spotted in the music.
| Criteria | Rating | Describe why you chose the rating you did. |
| The musicians played in tune. | 5 | The musicians played the tunes perfectly, and there was hardly ever any distortion in the continuity of the tunes in the music. |
| The musicians played together in time. | 5 | The harmony has been perfectly established because of the coordination of all the musicians. |
| The melody could be heard over the background. | 5 | The melody could be heard over the background perfectly, since the background was only meant as a supporting harmony. |
| The musicians paid attention to loud and soft dynamics. | 5 | Loudness and softness was perfectly adjusted at the required intervals and transitions. |
| The music was played cleanly. | 5 | The simplicity in the music made it sound perfectly clean. |
| I enjoyed listening to this piece of music. | 5 | The music was a treat to listen to. |
| I would like to listen to this piece of music again. | 5 | The music provided a great feeling of thrill and suspense, and at the same time, it was fun to listen to, because of the trumpet sounds. I would love to listen to it again. |
(5 points)
| Score |
| 5 |
- Listen to Sample 3: “The Elements.” What are your overall feelings regarding this piece? Use specific musical language to describe your feelings. Then fill out the chart.
Answer: The Elements is a music which conveys a strong feeling of enchantment. This is particularly because of the instrumentation, which was heavily dominated by piano. The scale has been predominantly been in the area of C, which adds a soothing feeling. The harmony has been perfectly established by the background music, and since the notes were moderate, it only added to the soothing feeling in the music. The music however, has failed to establish a catchy tune, especially because of the fact that the repetitiveness of the chorus in the music was not frequent enough.
| Criteria | Rating | Describe why you chose the rating you did. |
| The musicians played in tune. | 5 | The musicians played perfectly in tune, because of which, the song sounded very harmonious. |
| The musicians played together in time. | 5 | The coordination between the musicians was impeccable, which added to the harmony of the song. |
| The melody could be heard over the background. | 5 | The volume of the background has been perfectly adjusted, which makes the melody perfectly distinguishable from the background. |
| The musicians paid attention to loud and soft dynamics. | 4 | The transition towards the bridge of the music should have been softer than what it was. |
| The music was played cleanly. | 5 | The distinct melody and the supporting background with proper audio levels made sure that the music is perceived as being clear to the ears. |
| I enjoyed listening to this piece of music. | 4 | The melody in the music was not very catchy. However, it was overall nice to listen to. |
| I would like to listen to this piece of music again. | 5 | I would love to listen to it again, since it provides a feeling of enchantment through the music. Although the melody was not very catchy, the overall tune of the music ensured that the music was a treat to listen to. |
(5 points)
| Score |
| 5 |
- Select a song you would like to evaluate. Listen to the song, and then complete the chart.
Answer: Speak To Angels is a song performed by 009 Sound System, which is majorly played in B major, and is highly appealing to the listener. The rhythm of the song is moderate, with the beats being moderately high, consistently throughout the song. This always conveyed a feeling as if the song is constantly going somewhere, which eventually leads to the chorus, which is in perfect harmony with the rest of the tune of the song. This is one of the reasons why the song can be played in loops, and it still would sound as if the sing is in continuation.
Song Title: Speak to angels
Performer or Group: 009 Sound System
| Criteria | Rating | Describe why you chose the rating you did. |
| The musicians played in tune. | 5 | The musicians played perfectly in tune with one another. |
| The musicians played together in time. | 5 | The coordination between the musicians was impeccable, which gave off a feeling of pure harmony. |
| The melody could be heard over the background. | 5 | The background music was only treated as a supporting harmony, with the main focus being on the main melody. |
| The musicians paid attention to loud and soft dynamics. | 5 | Loud and sift dynamics have been perfectly executed by the musicians in the song. |
| The music was played cleanly. | 5 | The simplicity of the musical composition made sure that the song sounded clear to the ears. |
| I enjoyed listening to this piece of music. | 5 | The melody in the music was very appealing. It was as if the song was meant to be heard over and over again. |
| I would like to listen to this piece of music again. | 5 | This is one of those songs which I would love to listen to many times in the future, since the composition of the song gives off a feeling of sadness and motivation at the same time. |
| Your Score | 19 of 20 |
