§-Music syllabus

Music syllabus, dot point by dot point

Every dot point in the VIC Music study design, in syllabus order, with a focused answer for each. Open any dot point for the answer, exam-style questions and links to related points.

Unit 3: Performance and music language

Unit overview →

How do you transcribe a melody by ear and develop the aural skills that VCE Music examines under time pressure?

the aural identification and notation of melodies, including pitch direction, intervals, scale degrees and contour, and the development of dictation and sight-singing skills

6 min read →

How do you identify chords, chord qualities, progressions and cadences purely by ear in VCE Music?

the aural recognition of chord qualities, chord progressions and cadences from heard examples, including hearing the bass line, distinguishing major from minor harmony, and identifying cadence types by ear

6 min read →

How do you recognise tone colour and identify instruments and sound sources by ear in VCE Music?

the aural recognition of tone colour and timbre, the identification of instruments, voices and sound sources, and the description of how sounds are produced and combined in performed and studied works

6 min read →

How do you read and write standard notation correctly, including clefs, the stave and score conventions, in VCE Music?

the reading and writing of standard notation, including the treble, bass and other clefs, the stave, accidentals, enharmonics, ledger lines and the conventions used when transcribing and presenting music

6 min read →

How do you recognise tonality, hear a change of key and describe modulation and key relationships in VCE Music?

the aural and written recognition of tonality, including major, minor, modal and atonal sound, the identification of modulation, and the description of key relationships in performed and studied works

6 min read →

How do you hear, count and accurately notate rhythm and metre when transcribing music in VCE Music?

the aural recognition, counting and notation of rhythm, metre, time signatures, subdivision and syncopation, and their accurate transcription from heard examples

6 min read →

How do key signatures and the circle of fifths let you name a key instantly and work between related keys in VCE Music?

the identification and construction of major and minor key signatures, the order of sharps and flats, the circle of fifths, and the use of relative and parallel keys in performed and studied repertoire

6 min read →

How do intervals, scales and modes form the pitch material that you must hear, name and notate in VCE Music?

the identification, construction and aural recognition of intervals, major and minor scales, and the diatonic modes used in performed and studied repertoire

6 min read →

How are chords built and connected into the harmonic progressions you must recognise and analyse in VCE Music?

the construction and aural identification of triads and seventh chords, chord qualities and inversions, and common diatonic harmonic progressions and cadences

6 min read →

Unit 4: Performance, analysis and composition

Unit overview →

How do performers interpret a score and use expressive devices to shape a convincing performance in VCE Music?

the interpretation of notated and stylistic material through expressive devices, including phrasing, dynamics, articulation, rubato, ornamentation and stylistic conventions appropriate to the repertoire

6 min read →

How do you use compositional devices to create and develop musical ideas in VCE Music?

the use of compositional devices to create and develop musical material, including motif, repetition, sequence, variation, melody, harmony, texture and structure in original and arranged work

6 min read →

How do you analyse the structure and form of a work and explain how sections are organised in VCE Music?

the analysis of structure and form in performed and studied works, including binary, ternary, theme and variations, rondo, verse-chorus, twelve-bar blues and through-composed forms, and how sections contrast, return and create coherence

6 min read →

How do you analyse texture and tone colour and explain how layering and instrumentation create effect in VCE Music?

the analysis of texture and tone colour in performed and studied works, including monophonic, homophonic and polyphonic textures, density and layering, instrumentation and orchestration, and how these create effect

6 min read →

How do you work through the creative process and document a composition folio in VCE Music?

the stages of the creative process, including generating, developing, shaping and refining musical ideas, documenting decisions and intentions, and presenting a folio of original work with appropriate notation or recording

6 min read →

How do you perform effectively in an ensemble and rehearse with other musicians in VCE Music?

the development of ensemble performance skills, including maintaining a shared pulse, listening and balancing within a group, communicating non-verbally, and rehearsing effectively with other musicians and accompanists

6 min read →

How do you improvise musically over a structure and develop improvisation skills in VCE Music?

the development of improvisation skills, including improvising melodically and rhythmically over a chord progression or structure, using scales, motifs and stylistic conventions, and shaping a coherent improvised line

6 min read →

How do you organise sound and use sound sources to manipulate the elements of music in VCE Music?

the organisation of sound to manipulate the elements of music, including the selection and treatment of acoustic, electric and electronic sound sources, and the use of production techniques to shape pitch, duration, dynamics, texture and tone colour

6 min read →

How do you investigate a style, tradition or focus area and understand music in its context in VCE Music?

the investigation of music in context, including researching a style, tradition or focus area, identifying its characteristic features and performance practices, and understanding the influences and context that shape music works

6 min read →

How do you prepare a program and develop the technique needed to perform confidently in VCE Music?

the preparation of a performance program, including technical exercises, practice strategies, control of tone and intonation, and managing performance under examination conditions

6 min read →

How do you identify compositional devices in a work and explain how they shape and develop the music in VCE Music?

the identification and analysis of compositional devices in performed and studied works, including repetition, sequence, imitation, ostinato, pedal, augmentation, diminution, inversion, fragmentation and variation, and how they develop musical material

6 min read →

How do you compare different interpretations of a work and analyse the performance decisions performers make in VCE Music?

the analysis and comparison of interpretation in performances, including the performance decisions made about tempo, dynamics, articulation, phrasing, tone colour and expressive devices, and how they shape the character of a performance

6 min read →

How do you analyse a work using the elements and concepts of music and write about it clearly in VCE Music?

the analysis of performed and studied works through the elements and concepts of music, including pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tone colour, texture, structure and expressive devices, and how these create effect

6 min read →

How do you arrange existing music for new forces and use re-orchestration to reimagine a work in VCE Music?

the arrangement and re-orchestration of existing music, including reworking instrumentation, texture, harmony and style, writing idiomatically for the chosen forces, and reimagining a work while keeping it recognisable

6 min read →