How to Answer Question 6

What is Question 6?

Question 6 is part of the Listening Paper in the Leaving Certificate Music Exam. It is designed to assess your ability to:

• Analyse and describe musical elements in a piece of music.
• Recognise stylistic, structural, and expressive features.
• Contextualise the piece in its historical, cultural, or stylistic setting.
• Compare and contrast musical elements across different works or traditions if required. This question may focus on:
• Prescribed works (e.g., symphonies or operas).
• Irish music (traditional forms, regional styles, or instruments).
• Aural features (such as melody, rhythm, texture, or dynamics).

How Should You Answer?

Your response should:

Identify Key Musical Features:

• Address specific elements like melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, texture, and form.
• Provide evidence by referencing moments or sections in the music.

Contextualise the Work:

• Place the music in its historical, cultural, or stylistic context.
• Highlight relevant influences or characteristics typical of the composer, period, or genre.

Compare or Evaluate (if required):

• Highlight similarities and differences between works or performances.
• Discuss the effectiveness or expressive qualities of the musical elements.

Use Clear Language:

• Use musical terminology accurately to demonstrate understanding.

What Are You Marked On?

Examiners evaluate your response based on the following criteria:

Identification of Musical Features (Clarity):

• Are the elements of the piece (e.g., rhythm, melody, harmony) accurately identified and described?

Use of Terminology:

• Is appropriate musical vocabulary used effectively to explain the features?

Depth of Analysis:

• Does the answer provide insightful details about the music, including specific examples?

Contextual Understanding:

• Does the response demonstrate an understanding of the historical or stylistic context of the work?

Coherence and Structure:

• Is the answer well-organised, with points presented logically and supported by evidence?

Relevance to the Question:

• Does the answer stay focused on the specific requirements of the question (e.g., comparison, evaluation, or analysis)?