IB Music SL study plan

Build a one-page aural-analysis checklist covering the musical elements (duration, pitch, tonality, texture, timbre, dynamics, structure) and annotate each element with two listening cues you can identify by ear

Listen to each prescribed work three times without a score, logging timestamps for every structural boundary, texture change, and instrumentation shift

Choose your Musical Links Investigation (MLI) topic by selecting two contrasting musical cultures or genres and drafting a one-sentence claim about the musical link you will investigate

Set up a listening log template that records work, movement, timestamp, element, and observation for every session

Compare your timestamped structural maps against published scores or programme notes and correct every discrepancy, noting why you misheard it

Transcribe by ear the primary melody and bass line of four unfamiliar short excerpts played twice each, then verify against the source

Practise identifying cadences, modulations, and harmonic rhythm in eight short unfamiliar excerpts, writing the Roman numeral or chord symbol you hear

Draft 200 words of analytical prose on one prescribed work that cites specific timestamps as evidence

Analyse the second prescribed work in depth, mapping how its context (date, place, composer biography, intended function) shapes its musical decisions

Write a full comparative analysis of your two MLI works, citing at least four specific musical examples per work with bar or timestamp references

Run two timed 20-minute aural exercises on unfamiliar music covering element identification, structural mapping, and context inference

Refine your analysis vocabulary list to 30 precise terms and use each one correctly in a written sentence

Sit a full mock listening paper under exam conditions and mark it against the criteria, categorising every lost mark by element, structure, or context

Revise the MLI draft for argument coherence, ensuring every musical example directly supports your stated link

Create a one-page context sheet per prescribed work and self-test recall of dates, places, and stylistic features

Record yourself speaking a three-minute verbal analysis of an unfamiliar excerpt to build fluency under time pressure

Select and confirm your solo programme, checking total duration and stylistic contrast against the assessment criteria

Break each piece into practice segments and set a target tempo for each segment

Establish a daily slow-practice routine at 60-70% tempo with a metronome for the three hardest passages

Record one full run-through of each piece and annotate every hesitation, intonation slip, or memory gap with its location

Eliminate the annotated problems from week 5, verifying each fix with a fresh recording comparison

Perform your programme for one listener and collect written feedback on interpretation, communication, and technical security

Sketch three composition or arrangement ideas and select one, defining its forces, duration, structure, and intended effect

Draft the opening 30 seconds of your chosen composition or arrangement, notating rhythm and pitch accurately

Run two full mock performances with no stopping, simulating exam conditions and recording both

Complete the full draft of your composition or arrangement, including dynamics, articulation, and performance directions

Score your mock recordings against the solo performing criteria and write two concrete changes for the final week

Have a teacher or mentor review the composition draft and log every actionable comment

Polish the composition or arrangement in response to feedback and produce a clean final score or recording

Sit one final timed listening paper and verify that your previously weakest areas now score above 70%

Perform your programme twice more at full tempo, focusing only on interpretation and stage presence rather than notes

Assemble a final revision pack of context sheets, analysis vocabulary, and error logs for last-minute review