Welcome to GCSE Music: Composing (Component 3)
Composing music is your opportunity to be completely creative and create your own unique musical worlds. Whether you love writing on an instrument like the piano or guitar, or prefer building beats and tracks in software like Logic, GarageBand, or Sibelius, this component gives you the freedom to showcase your musical imagination.
Don't worry if composing feels intimidating at first! Just like learning to write stories or cook a great meal, composing is a step-by-step craft. Once you understand the rules, the assessment structure, and how to develop your musical ideas, you will have all the tools you need to succeed.
Quick Component Facts:
• Weighting: Component 3 is worth \(30\%\) of your total GCSE grade.
• Assessment Type: Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) — this means coursework marked by your teacher and moderated by AQA.
• Total Marks: \(72\) marks in total (\(36\) marks for each composition).
• Total Pieces: You must submit two separate compositions.
1. The Two Compositions Explained
To complete Component 3, you will create two contrasting pieces of music:
Composition 1: Composing to an Externally Set Brief
• What is it? AQA releases four composition briefs on September 1st of your final exam year. Each brief links to one of the Areas of Study.
• Your Task: You choose one of the four briefs to respond to.
• The Goal: Your piece must clearly fit the specific scenario, audience, or occasion described in the chosen brief (for example, film music, a stage piece, or a specific song style).
Composition 2: Free Composition
• What is it? This is completely up to you! You determine your own brief, style, and genre.
• Your Task: You decide who the music is for (the audience) and what situation it is written for (the occasion).
• The Goal: You can write in any style you enjoy — rock, classical, pop, jazz, EDM, minimalist, ambient, or video game music.
The Duration Rule (Combined Time)
The combined duration of both compositions together must be a minimum of \(3\) minutes (e.g., piece one is \(1\) minute \(40\) seconds, and piece two is \(1\) minute \(30\) seconds, giving a total of \(3\) minutes \(10\) seconds).
• There is no maximum time limit, but your pieces should always show good structure and avoid unnecessary rambling.
• Warning: Submitting work that is under the \(3\)-minute combined minimum results in an under-length penalty that lowers your mark!
Key Takeaway: You need two pieces (one from an AQA brief, one free choice) with a total combined running time of at least \(3\) minutes.
2. The "Musical Elements" Rule
To score high marks, you must prove that you can control and combine the building blocks of music. For each composition, you are required to select and work with at least four types of musical elements.
AQA splits these elements into two specific groups. You must select at least two elements from Group 1 AND at least two elements from Group 2:
Group 1: Time, Texture, and Shape (Choose at least TWO)
• Rhythm: The patterns of long and short note durations, syncopation, triplets, or dotted rhythms.
• Metre: The time signature and pulse (e.g., \(4/4\), \(3/4\), or \(6/8\)).
• Texture: How the musical layers fit together (e.g., monophonic, homophonic, polyphonic, melody and accompaniment).
• Melody: The main tune, pitch shapes (conjunct/stepwise or disjunct/leaping), and melodic contour.
• Structure / Form: How the sections are arranged (e.g., Verse-Chorus, Binary \(AB\), Ternary \(ABA\), Rondo \(ABACA\), or Ground Bass).
Group 2: Sound, Colour, and Expression (Choose at least TWO)
• Harmony: Chords, cadences, chord progressions, and how notes sound together.
• Tonality: The key of the piece (e.g., Major, Minor, Modal, Pentatonic).
• Timbre: The unique tone quality and choice of specific instruments or synthesized sounds.
• Dynamics: Volume levels and changes (e.g., piano, forte, crescendo, diminuendo).
• Phrasing: The musical "sentences" and natural breathing points in the music.
• Articulation: How individual notes are played (e.g., staccato [short/detached], legato [smooth], accents).
Memory Trick: Think of Group 1 as the skeleton and shape of your piece (the rhythm, melody, and structure), and Group 2 as the colour and expression (the harmony, instrument sounds, dynamics, and articulation).
Key Takeaway: Always check your Candidate Record Form (CRF) to ensure you have chosen and used at least \(2\) elements from Group 1 and at least \(2\) elements from Group 2 for both pieces.
3. Evidence Required for Submission
For each of your two compositions, you must provide three pieces of evidence:
1. The Complete Audio Recording
• A full recording of your final piece.
• Important: You do not have to perform the piece yourself. It can be an exported audio file from your software (MIDI / virtual instruments), or a live recording performed by you or other musicians.
2. The Programme Note (Approx. \(150\) Words)
This is a short written document explaining your piece. It must clearly state:
• Your compositional intention: Who is the music for (the audience) and where would it be heard (the occasion)?
• The musical elements you selected (at least four, following the Group 1 and Group 2 rules).
• The hardware and software used (e.g., Sibelius, Logic Pro, GarageBand, guitars, MIDI keyboards, microphone types).
3. The Score or Written Guide
Your audio recording must be supported by one of the following formats:
• Staff Notated Score: Traditional sheet music showing all parts, dynamics, and tempo (common for Sibelius/Musescore projects).
• Lead Sheet: A single melodic line with chord symbols and lyrics (often used for pop/rock songs).
• Aural Guide: A written document with annotated screenshots and detailed explanations showing section timings, instrumentation, and element usage (ideal for music technology and DAW-based projects).
Key Takeaway: Every submission needs: Audio + \(150\)-word Programme Note + Score/Lead Sheet/Aural Guide.
4. How Your Compositions Are Marked
Each composition is marked out of \(36\) marks, which are divided equally into two assessment criteria:
Criterion 1: Creative and Effective Selection and Use of Musical Elements (\(18\) Marks)
• This assesses your musical imagination and technical skill.
• Are your musical ideas interesting and well-developed?
• Do you use your chosen elements with technical control and sophistication?
Criterion 2: Appropriate Selection and Use of Musical Elements (\(18\) Marks)
• This assesses how well your music matches your stated brief and intention.
• If you wrote a piece for a tense horror film scene, does it actually sound suspenseful and dramatic?
• Does the choice of instruments, tempo, and harmony fit the intended audience and occasion?
Total: \(18 \text{ marks (Criterion 1)} + 18 \text{ marks (Criterion 2)} = 36 \text{ marks per piece}\).
Across both compositions, \(36 + 36 = 72 \text{ marks}\) (\(30\%\) of your GCSE).
5. Developing Musical Ideas (Avoiding "Copy-Paste" Loops)
One of the biggest traps in student composition is creating a fantastic \(4\)-bar or \(8\)-bar idea and simply looping it for three minutes without any change. Examiners look for development and contrast.
Here are effective ways to develop your ideas:
• Sequences: Repeat your melodic motif starting on a higher or lower pitch.
• Rhythmic Variation: Keep the tune's pitches the same, but change the rhythm (e.g., make it syncopated or double the note lengths).
• Inversion: Turn your melody upside down (if the original melody jumps up three notes, make it jump down three notes).
• Texture Changes: Add or remove instrument layers between sections (e.g., thin out the texture during a verse and build a thick texture in the chorus).
• Harmonic Shifts: Re-harmonize the same melody with different chords underneath, or modulate (change key) to a related key (like the relative minor or dominant).
6. Common Pitfalls to Avoid
• Under-Length Pieces: Double-check your audio files to make sure the combined total is at least \(3\) minutes (\(180\) seconds). Submitting less than \(3\) minutes causes an automatic penalty.
• Unbalanced Mixes: When using a DAW, make sure one track (like a loud drum kit or bass synth) does not drown out the melody and harmony. Balanced mixing shows good technical control.
• Missing Programme Note Details: Ensure you clearly state your audience, occasion, chosen elements, and software used within your \(150\) words.
• Declaration of Performers: Everything you submit must be your own work. If a friend or teacher plays an instrument on your recording, you must clearly declare this on your Candidate Record Form (CRF).
7. Final Checklist for Success
Before submitting your NEA coursework, run through this quick checklist for both compositions:
1. Duration: Is the combined length of both pieces \(3\) minutes or longer?
2. Elements: Have you selected and demonstrated at least \(2\) elements from Group 1 and at least \(2\) elements from Group 2?
3. Brief & Intention: Does Composition 1 answer an official AQA brief? Does Composition 2 have a clearly defined audience and occasion?
4. Submission Bundle: Do you have an Audio Recording, a \(150\)-word Programme Note, and a Score/Lead Sheet/Aural Guide for both pieces?
5. Development: Have you developed your musical themes rather than just repeating loops?