PAU Music Analysis II (Balearic Islands / UIB)

Typically you receive one or more short tonal excerpts described in the paper and must identify form and phrase structure, label chords with Roman numerals and figures, mark cadences and modulations, comment on melody, rhythm and texture, and place the music in its stylistic period. Answers are written, often with diagrams, so clear notation matters as much as the analysis.

It assumes the basics are already secure. Instead of naming chords in isolation, you must explain how harmony drives form: which cadence closes a phrase, where a sequence begins, how a modulation is prepared and confirmed. Candidates who can only label chords without hearing their function find the form questions hardest.

Retake rules, sitting opportunities and how the best mark is counted are set by the Balearic PAU regulations and can change between calls. Check the official regional education authority and UIB admissions pages for the current rules rather than relying on second-hand advice.

The current structure, duration and number of items are published by the official body each year. Do not plan your revision around remembered figures from older calls; download the latest official specification and any model paper, then time your practice against that document.

Start with harmony and cadences, because form analysis depends on them. Add phrase structure and thematic processes next, then melodic, rhythmic and textural description. Finish with stylistic contextualisation, Roman-numeral and diagram notation, and written terminology. This order lets each new topic reuse the vocabulary you have already practised.

Misidentifying a cadence because the bass is inverted, labelling a passing chord as a functional harmony, missing a modulation that is confirmed only by the following phrase, and writing long prose instead of a labelled diagram. Untidy Roman numerals and missing figures also cost easy marks. Precision and brevity score better than volume.

No. The excerpt is described in the paper, and the task is analytical, not a listening test. You should, however, be able to hear internally what your Roman numerals imply, because that habit catches impossible progressions and makes cadence identification much faster.

Analyse one short piece per week under timed conditions, then compare your diagram with a reliable edition's phrase marks. Keep a glossary of terms you actually use, and rewrite any comment longer than three sentences as a labelled list. Frequent short analyses beat occasional long ones.

The Balearic Islands education authority publishes the PAU subject description, and the University of the Balearic Islands publishes admissions information. Model papers and marking criteria appear there when released. Use those documents for definitive details on structure, timing and scoring; this page is independent guidance.