This exciting senior secondary Music text is an indispensable resource for Music teachers and Music students. The text introduces the concepts of music (texture, duration, pitch, tone, colour, structure and dynamics and expressive techniques), shows how they can be applied to the study of any topic and prepares students for the all-important compulsory aural skills examination. In a fun and easy-to-follow format, An Introduction to the Concepts of Music provides students with the expertise to successfully study any of the topics and prepare them for all areas of evaluation. CONTENTS Chapter 1 TEXTURE Texture Layer I.D. Layer Roles Layer Density Layer Relationships Summarising Texture Chapter 2 DURATION Duration Beat Foundation Free Time Tempo Metre Metre: prerequisite information Time Signature Rhythm Syncopation Ostinato Anacrusis Polyrhythm Irregular Divisions Cross Rhythms Augmentation and Diminution Composite Metres Metre in Performance Hemiola Style Summarising Duration Chapter 3 PITCH Pitch Definite Pitch and Indefinite Pitch Melody Harmony Summarising Pitch Chapter 4 TONE COLOUR Tone Colour/Orchestration Performance Medium/Ensemble Type Sections Instruments/Sound Source Classification Role Register Playing Techniques Electronic Modification Timbre Strategy Summarising Tone Colour Chapter 5 STRUCTURE Structure Unity Contrast Overall Structures Strategy Summarising Structure Chapter 6 DYNAMICS AND EXPRESSIVE TECHNIQUES Dynamics and Expressive Techniques Dynamics What Is Expression? Mood Words Changing Moods How Concepts Affect Expression Dynamics: the Overriding Expressive Technique Temporary Aspects within the Concepts The Communication Process Strategy Summarising Expressive Techniques Chapter 7 APPLYING THE CONCEPTS IN TOPIC STUDY The Topics Choosing Topics Studying Sub-topics Applying the Concepts Musicology Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts Performance Composition Elective Choices Summarising Concept Application Chapter 8 TYPES OF HSC AURAL QUESTIONS Course Structure Elective Requirements Core Requirements The Aural Examination What the Questions Are Looking for Summarising Types of HSC Aural Questions Chapter 9 ANSWERING MUSIC 1 AURAL QUESTIONS Converting Knowledge into Responses Analyse the Question The Response Summarising Answering Music 1 Aural Questions Chapter 10 SAMPLE AURAL ANSWERS Just One Excerpt Model Answers Interconnections