MATSEC SEC Music study plan

Map the two prepared solo pieces bar by bar, marking fingering, breathing points or bowing, and any technical passages that need slow practice.

Notate the key, metre, phrase structure and cadence points of each solo piece from the score without consulting a recording.

Practise each solo piece in short sections at half tempo with a metronome, logging the tempo reached for each section.

Drill treble and bass clef note recognition and simple rhythmic dictation for 15 minutes on four separate days.

Assemble the ensemble/set work parts and mark every entry, cue and balance point in your own copy.

Record yourself playing both solo pieces and write three specific corrections per piece after listening back.

Analyse one set work's form, instrumentation and texture, writing bar references for each structural boundary.

Rehearse the ensemble piece with a partner or backing track twice, focusing on entries after rests.

Raise both solo pieces to performance tempo section by section, then run each piece complete three times without stopping.

Compose an 8-bar melody in a major key that uses a clear antecedent and consequent phrase with a perfect or imperfect cadence.

Harmonise your 8-bar melody with primary chords (I, IV, V) and check each chord choice against the melody notes.

Memorise the opening 16 bars of each solo piece to reduce dependence on the score.

Perform both solo pieces and the ensemble part end to end in one sitting, simulating exam conditions with no restarts.

Extend your composition to 16 bars by adding a contrasting middle section with a modulation to the dominant or relative minor.

Identify cadences and harmonic rhythm by ear in four short unfamiliar excerpts and check your answers against the score.

Write programme notes of 80-100 words for each solo piece covering composer, date, style and one structural feature.

Compare two set works from different periods, tabulating forces, texture, harmonic language and intended context.

Place each set work on a timeline with dates, composers and one contemporaneous stylistic development per work.

Practise identifying instrumentation and texture aurally in three unfamiliar recordings, writing your evidence for each judgement.

Draft an essay plan answering a comparison question on two set works with a thesis and three supporting points.

Complete a timed listening paper of unfamiliar excerpts, identifying form, texture, cadences and instrumentation with bar or timing references.

Complete Roman numeral harmonic analyses of four short passages, labelling inversions and non-chord notes.

Transcribe a four-bar melody and a four-bar rhythm by ear from a tonal excerpt.

Revise intervals, scales, modes and key signatures until you can answer 20 rapid-fire questions with no errors.

Finalise your composition, adding performance directions (dynamics, articulation, tempo) and checking notation against standard conventions.

Write a 200-word commentary explaining your compositional choices, form, harmony and intended style with reference to the historical context studied.

Rehearse a spoken-style viva answer for two set works, explaining context and one analytical feature in under two minutes each.

Revisit the listening paper errors from week 6 and correct each with a written reason.

Run two complete mock exams to time: performance, listening paper and written analysis, with no notes.

Perform all pieces once daily, focusing only on the corrections logged in weeks 2 and 4.

Review your harmonic analysis and transcription errors from the mock papers and rewrite the correct answers from memory.

Prepare a final one-page summary sheet of set works, dates, forms and key terms for last-minute revision.