Music GCSE (9-1) Edexcel: AOS 2 Vocal Music- Purcell : Ground Bass

Purcell: ‘Music for a While’ -GCSE (9-1) Edexcel Pearson.- NEW 2018

Ground Bass is a structural and harmonic device (also known as basso ostinato), used widely in both instrumental and vocal music in the Baroque era. In this lesson, students will explore the features of Purcell’s 3-bar ground bass in ‘Music for a While’ and apply their knowledge in composing their own ground basses.

Objective(s):
To understand that ground bass can act as a structural, as well as, a harmonic device in Baroque music.
All/Most/Few:
All will learn to recognise the features of the 3-bar ground bass in Music for a While, and apply similar features in their own ground bass compositions.
Some will be able to create a full-length ground bass with a perfect cadence at the end to be looped.
Few will be able to add additional continuo chords.

*Differentiation: All students will compose a simple bassline of at least 8 notes. More able students will attempt to elaborate their basslines using shorter note values (quavers), using a mixture of steps and leaps (including some semitone chromaticisms if in a minor key)