Listening Activity 1

Carnival of the Animals – Listen to the music -guess the animal + give a musical reason
for your answer

Look at the bottom page below for musical ideas.

Animal Musical Reason

Elephant The tempo is slow like an elephant and has a lower register that
doesn’t change very much. The texture is thin, emphasising the
elephant’s heavy steps. The instruments playing include piano and
double bass.
Aquarium The tempo starts as slow but gradually gets faster as more
instruments begin playing. The piece is played in quite a high
register for most of the piece. Throughout the piece, the texture
changes from thin to thick as more instruments start and stop
playing.
Swan
Cuckoo Starts by having a slow tempo and it gradually gets faster. Starts by
having quite a thin texture but as the song progresses, it gets a bit
 thicker. The song is in a moderate register and the piece doesn’t get
much louder.

Listening Activity 2

Tell a story
Listen to the following piece and write a story to go with the music. For each point of your
story you need a musical reason. You may select ideas form the Musical Ideas Box.

Story Musical Reason

Musical Ideas Boxes PITCH

High or low register -- or changes

Sudden /gradual changes
Steps or jumps
Ostinato
DURATION

Tempo – slow, medium, fast

Tempo changes – faster/slower –
gradual or sudden
Silence used Tone colour
Short, bouncy notes
Strong or weak beat Woodwind
Sustained (long) notes Brass
Semiquavers, quavers Strings
Rhythm pattern repeats percussion
Flute
Bassoon Dynamics + Expressive Techniques
TEXTURE Double bass
Trumpet Piano (p) - soft
Few instruments = light piano pp
Whole orchestra – thick cello Forte (f) - loud
Staggered entries – Clarinet ff
texture thickens Warm Crescendo/decrescendo
Piercing Sudden /gradual dynamic changes
Nasal Strings bowing (arco)
Edgy Pizzicato
Harsh mutes
bright