Listening Journal

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KS5 Listening journal

How to use this listening journal

Listening to music and being able to describe what you hear is a skill that can be practised and developed.
Moving from KS4 up to KS5 can feel like a big step, but with regular listening to a wide variety of musical
styles and composers you can start to build your confidence and listening experience.
By using the glossary incuded in this booklet, and recording your listening observations, you can practise
describing music using the technical vocabulary required at KS5 level.

What’s different at KS5 level?
At KS5 you need to:
• Use a more sophisticated range of technical vocabulary when describing what you hear.
• Discuss the historical background and context of pieces.
• Compare musical features in two pieces.
• Refer to other, related pieces you’ve studied to demonstrate a wide range of listening.

Handy Hint
Identify a musical feature + explain the effect / purpose / intention. For example:
“The modulation to the dominant key at the end of the section brightens the mood of the music”
“The anacrusis gives energy and momentum to the main theme. This is developed later where the pair of
quavers becomes a triplet, elongating the original rhythm.”

Developing an opinion about music:

Music is subjective – some people love a particular composer, whilst others can’t stand them. You don’t
have to like everything you listen to, but it’s important to have an opinion and to be able to explain and
justify it. At the end of each listening table you’ll find a space to write a brief summary of your own
feelings about the piece.
ICCCA008R02 icancompose.com page 1 of 40


Helpful tips:
• Highlight any words you’re not familiar with in the glossary. Learn these and use in your listening
journal.
• Listen to a variety of styles and genres so that you can begin to make comparisons and form your
own opinion about what you’re listening to.
• Use bullet points and key words to keep your observations clear and concise.
• Set yourself the challenge of listening to one new composer / piece of music per day.
• Set up Spotify / Apple / YouTube playlists so that you can revisit music that you’ve listened to.
In this listening journal you’ll find:
1. Key terms glossary (with extra space to add your own key words).
2. Table of ‘prompts’ – examples of what you can listen out for in each category.
3. Blank listening templates to complete every time you listen to a new piece of music.
4. List of Composers – build up your own bank of composers that you’ve listened to.


Key terms glossary
Category Key word Definition
Largo Slow
Adagio Slow
Tempo Andante Steady, walking pace

Allegro Quickly
Presto Fast
Rubato ‘Robbed of time’ – tempo is flexible
Syncopation Emphasising beats of the bar which are usually not accented.
Hemiola Music in triple time, which temporarily moves into duple time,
often at the end of a phrase.
Rhythm
Ostinato Repeating rhythmic pattern.
Anacrusis An upbeat.
Cross-rhythm Two conflicting rhythms played simultaneously.
Polyphony Several musical lines played at the same time, overlapping &
interweaving.
Monophony One single line of music.
Homophony / Parts move together at the same time.

Melody-dominated
homophony
Heterophony Two or more instruments playing the same melody

Texture
simultaneously with one instrument playing a decorated version

of the melody.
Canon Can also come under form & compositional technique. Strict imitation
between parts in exact intervals but at different beats of the bar.
Polarised High-pitched instruments accompanied by bass instruments – i.e

main parts are at extreme ends of the overall register.
Antiphony When two or more groups of instruments or voices are placed in

different parts of the concert venue; the musical dialogue is

usually passed between them for textural effect.
Binary form Music in two repeated sections – A & B

Section B modulates to a new key before returning to the tonic
at the end.
Ternary form Music in three sections – ABA

The B section tends to modulate to a new key and provide a
contrast to the A section.
Rondo form Music consisting of a returning section (A) alternating with

contrasting sections:
ABACADA and so on.
Sonata form A form originating from the Classical period with three distinct
sections: Exposition; Development; Recapitulation.
Form / Structure Ritornello form Means ‘little return’ - a form used in the Baroque period, where
the ‘A’ section recurs, and contains a distinctive theme.
Theme & Main theme is stated followed by a series of variations based on

variations the theme.
Coda A ‘rounding-off’ section at the end of a piece / section. Usually

reinforces the tonic key.
Recitative Accompanied solo song in a large-scale work, which imitates the

natural rhythms of speech. It moves the story along by
describing the action, a thought or emotion.
Aria A solo song; part of a larger-scale work such as an opera or

cantata.

Fortissimo Very loud

Forte Loud
Piano Quiet
Pianissimo Very quiet
Mezzo piano Moderately quiet

Dynamics Mezzo forte Moderately loud
Diminuendo Gradually getting quieter.
Crescendo Gradually getting louder.
Terraced dynamics Sudden rather than gradual changes in dynamics; typical of the
Baroque period.

Tenuto Hold or sustain a note for its full length.
Marcato Notes are played more forcefully.

Articulation
Stacccato Notes are played separately and in a detached manner.
Legato Notes are connected and played smoothly.
Chromatic Music that uses notes that are not diatonic (see below)
Diatonic Music that solely uses the notes of the key it is in.
Circle of fifths Pattern of chords where the root note of each chord is a fifth
lower or a fourth higher than the previous one.
Modulation Moving from one key to another key.
Dissonance Clashing notes or chords that create tension.
Harmony/tonality Atonal Music not in any recognisable key.
Bitonal Music in two different keys simultaneously.
Whole-tone A whole-tone scale is made up of notes separated by tones (as

opposed to semitones). Whole tone harmony consists of chords
made up of whole-tones.
Suspension When a note from a chord is held over and causes dissonance
with the bass note. The tension is resolved in the next chord.
There are 3 steps to a suspension:
Preparation – suspension – resolution.
Leitmotif A recurring musical idea which represents a character, feeling or

place. Often used in film music.
Counter-melody A secondary melody, played at the same time as the main tune.
It can be played as a melody in its own right.
Descant Independent treble melody played / sung over the main melody.
Melody
Conjunct Moving by step.
Disjunct Moving by leap.
Sequence A motif which is repeated at a higher or lower pitch.
Chromatic Moving by semitone.

Passing notes A passing note is a type of melodic decoration between two
notes a third apart.
Word-painting A compositional technique where the music reflects the literal

meaning of a song’s lyrics.
Syllabic-setting Applies to vocal music; each syllable of text is given one note.
Melismatic A group of notes sung to one syllable of text.
Pizzicato Plucked strings

Bartok pizzicato Extended technique where the string player pulls the string away
from the fingerboard so that it snaps back percussively.
Con sordini With mute.
Glissando Rapid slide of notes.

Timbre/sonority
Tremolo Playing the same note rapidly, producing a shaking, wavering
(includes sound.
instrumental
techniques) Sotto voce “Under the voice” – played or sung in a low, soft voice.

Sul tasto Stringed instruments – bow kept near the fingerboard,
producing a soft, thin sound.
Double stopping Stringed instruments – playing two notes with the bow,
simulataneously.
Sul ponticello Stringed instruments - bowing near the bridge.
Spiccato Stringed instruments – bow bounces lightly upon the string.

Extra key words



Prompts for completing the musical features
Musical features Prompts
Find out relevant background information such as:

• Venue – was the music composed for performance in a particular venue e.g
concert hall, cathedral or living room?
• Audience – who was it composed for? E.g royalty; church congregation;
Contextual
dedicated to a family member.
information
• Political/religious climate (if relevant) E.g were there restrictions on the
composer?
• Composer’s purpose & intention – imagine what the composer’s brief would
have stated!
Think about the typical features of the genre/style/period that the music is from:
Features of the

genre/
For example:
style/period:
Baroque – harpsichord is playing the basso continuo; texture is polyphonic.

Classical – Alberti bass accompaniment and clear, balanced melodic phrases.
§ What is the time signature? Does it change – what is the effect?

Metre & Tempo
§ Is there a strong, clear pulse?

§ Can you describe the tempo of the music using suitable Italian terms ?
Identify any interesting rhythmic features, for example:

§ Triplets
Rhythm
§ Dotted rhythm

§ Syncopation
§ Hemiola
§ Does the melody use stepwise (conjunct) movement or does it contain larger
leaps (disjunct)?

§ What is the range of the melody?

§ Does it contain repeated pitches?
Melody
§ What is the direction of the pitch – ascending, descending or both?

§ Is there a counter-melody or descant? Is is developed later on in the music?

§ Vocal melody – is there use of melisma or is it a syllabic setting? Are there
examples of word-painting?
§ What type of ensemble is playing?

§ Identify instruments playing the main melody and the accompaniment.
Instrumentation
§ Are the instruments being played with any special techniques? (pizzicato,
glissando, con sordini etc)

Structure § Is the music in binary (AB), ternary (ABA), rondo (ABACA) theme and variations
or sonata form?
§ Or does it use a different structure?
Describe the overall texture of the piece:

§ Homophonic
§ Polyphonic
§ Monophonic
Texture
§ Melody & accompaniment (or ‘melody-dominated homophony’)

And listen out for changes in texture, such as:
§ Imitative texture
§ Canon
§ Heterophonic
Describe the harmony…

§ Mainly root position triads
§ Chromatic chords
§ Added-note chords
§ Dissonant chords
Harmony/tonality

…and the tonality
§ Major / minor / modal / atonal

§ Does the music modulate (change key)?
Dynamics Describe the dynamics (using Italian terms) at the:

§ Beginning
§ Middle
§ End

Are the changes gradual or sudden?

Are the dynamic markings in keeping with the period of composition? (E.g terraced
dynamics are a feature of Baroque music)

What effect do the dynamics have on the atmosphere of the music?
Any other Write down anything that you can think of that has not been covered in the other
interesting features categories.



Title of Composer:
piece:

Date Musical
composed: period:
Contextual
information:

Musical features Description
Features of the
genre/style/period

Metre & Tempo

Rhythm

Melody

Instrumentation



Structure

Texture

Harmony/tonality

Dynamics

Timbre/sonority

Any other
interesting features



My opinion about this piece:
What I like:

What I don’t
like:

Other pieces by this composer:


Title of Composer:
piece:

Date Musical
composed: period:
Contextual
information:

Features of the
genre/style/period

Metre & Tempo

Rhythm

Melody

Instrumentation



Structure

Texture

Harmony/tonality

Dynamics

Timbre/sonority

Any other



What I like:

What I don’t
like:


Title of Composer:
piece:

Date Musical
composed: period:
Contextual
information:

Features of the
genre/style/period

Metre & Tempo

Rhythm

Melody

Instrumentation



Structure

Texture

Harmony/tonality

Dynamics

Timbre/sonority

Any other



What I like:

What I don’t
like:



Title of Composer:
piece:

Date Musical
composed: period:
Contextual
information:

Features of the
genre/style/period

Metre & Tempo

Rhythm

Melody

Instrumentation



Structure

Texture

Harmony/tonality

Dynamics

Timbre/sonority

Any other



What I like:

What I don’t
like:



Title of Composer:
piece:

Date Musical
composed: period:
Contextual
information:

Features of the
genre/style/period

Metre & Tempo

Rhythm

Melody

Instrumentation



Structure

Texture

Harmony/tonality

Dynamics

Timbre/sonority

Any other



What I like:

What I don’t
like:



Title of Composer:
piece:

Date Musical
composed: period:
Contextual
information:

Features of the
genre/style/period

Metre & Tempo

Rhythm

Melody

Instrumentation



Structure

Texture

Harmony/tonality

Dynamics

Timbre/sonority

Any other



What I like:

What I don’t
like:



Title of Composer:
piece:

Date Musical
composed: period:
Contextual
information:

Features of the
genre/style/period

Metre & Tempo

Rhythm

Melody

Instrumentation



Structure

Texture

Harmony/tonality

Dynamics

Timbre/sonority

Any other



What I like:

What I don’t
like:



Title of Composer:
piece:

Date Musical
composed: period:
Contextual
information:

Features of the
genre/style/period

Metre & Tempo

Rhythm

Melody

Instrumentation



Structure

Texture

Harmony/tonality

Dynamics

Timbre/sonority

Any other



What I like:

What I don’t
like:



Title of Composer:
piece:

Date Musical
composed: period:
Contextual
information:

Features of the
genre/style/period

Metre & Tempo

Rhythm

Melody

Instrumentation



Structure

Texture

Harmony/tonality

Dynamics

Timbre/sonority

Any other



What I like:

What I don’t
like:



Title of Composer:
piece:

Date Musical
composed: period:
Contextual
information:

Features of the
genre/style/period

Metre & Tempo

Rhythm

Melody

Instrumentation



Structure

Texture

Harmony/tonality

Dynamics

Timbre/sonority

Any other



What I like:

What I don’t
like:



List of Composers
Use this table to record information about composers you’ve listened to.
Composer Dates Period Notes


Composer Dates Period Notes

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Copyright notice

Text © I Can Compose

License for distribution by I can compose: CC BY-NC-ND.

How to use this listening journal

Developing an opinion about music:

ICCCA008R02 icancompose.com page 1 of 40

In this listening journal you’ll find:

ICCCA008R02 icancompose.com page 2 of 40

Key terms glossary

Category Key word Definition

Tempo Andante Steady, walking pace

Rubato ‘Robbed of time’ – tempo is flexible

Cross-rhythm Two conflicting rhythms played simultaneously.

Monophony One single line of music.

Homophony / Parts move together at the same time.

Heterophony Two or more instruments playing the same melody

Polarised High-pitched instruments accompanied by bass instruments – i.e

Antiphony When two or more groups of instruments or voices are placed in

ICCCA008R02 icancompose.com page 3 of 40

Binary form Music in two repeated sections – A & B

Ternary form Music in three sections – ABA

Rondo form Music consisting of a returning section (A) alternating with

Theme & Main theme is stated followed by a series of variations based on

Coda A ‘rounding-off’ section at the end of a piece / section. Usually

Recitative Accompanied solo song in a large-scale work, which imitates the

Aria A solo song; part of a larger-scale work such as an opera or

Fortissimo Very loud

Mezzo piano Moderately quiet

Diminuendo Gradually getting quieter.

Crescendo Gradually getting louder.

ICCCA008R02 icancompose.com page 4 of 40

Marcato Notes are played more forcefully.

Legato Notes are connected and played smoothly.

Modulation Moving from one key to another key.

Dissonance Clashing notes or chords that create tension.

Harmony/tonality Atonal Music not in any recognisable key.

Bitonal Music in two different keys simultaneously.

Whole-tone A whole-tone scale is made up of notes separated by tones (as

Leitmotif A recurring musical idea which represents a character, feeling or

Disjunct Moving by leap.

Sequence A motif which is repeated at a higher or lower pitch.

Chromatic Moving by semitone.

ICCCA008R02 icancompose.com page 5 of 40

Word-painting A compositional technique where the music reflects the literal

Melismatic A group of notes sung to one syllable of text.

Pizzicato Plucked strings

Con sordini With mute.

Glissando Rapid slide of notes.

Sul ponticello Stringed instruments - bowing near the bridge.

Spiccato Stringed instruments – bow bounces lightly upon the string.

ICCCA008R02 icancompose.com page 6 of 40

Musical features Prompts

Find out relevant background information such as:

§ What is the time signature? Does it change – what is the effect?

Identify any interesting rhythmic features, for example:

§ What type of ensemble is playing?

ICCCA008R02 icancompose.com page 7 of 40

Describe the overall texture of the piece:

Describe the harmony…