I'm in year 11 at school (just started year 11) and I'm just starting my second year of GCSE music which is great.
But I'd like to know what does A level music involve? And how difficult is it? (For a pianist)
Thanks

Hi

It really depends alot on which examining board you chose to do with what will be entailed in the course. Although it will generally include something such as analysis of music, harmony, a practical recital, and compositions. As a pianist you will probably have the upper hand in it with the harmony being much easier to understand. The recital for to get more marks for more difficult pieces was grade 6 equivalent I think.

Hope this helps.

Very much dependant on which board your school do...do you know what GCSE syllabus you're following, because it's likely (though not certain) that your school will offer the same board for A level. I'm just starting my second year of A level music with OCR. Unlike Edexcel which I think (though I may well be wrong) is what piano*cello*sax*boy was talking about, OCR for AS performance only require grade 4-5 standard to get into the "more difficult" band. For A2, you get additional marks if your performance repertoire is of grade 6-8, so it all follows on from GCSE (where gr3 could get you an A*).
Unlike GCSE, performance is done in front of a visiting examiner, very much like an ABRSM/TG exam- except without the aural/scales/sight reading. I had to do a solo section, an ensemble/duet/2nd instrument/accompanist role and a viva voce/self reflection answering questions posed by the examiner. All is recorded, but the initial marks will be from the performance the examiner heard.
Harmony wise- we had to do 8 exercises arranging harmony parts for well known tunes e.g. frosty the snowman or close ev'ry door to me. One of those was completed as a controlled exercise (which i hated). Being a pianist helps, apparently although I am not a pianist and I manage. I recommend if you don't have the knowledge of gr5 theory that perhaps get some work books and work through, whether or not you take the exam/have taken it because I found that invaluable to my AS, both harmony, composition and listening.

Composition, we had to write a piece for 4-10 instruments lasting no longer than 3mins. I did mine for 4 instruments and still got an A, so it's not how many you write for, it's what you do with those instruments which gains the marks. Don't leave it till the last minute either, or it really will destroy your life!

Listening paper, unlike the GCSE paper of styles of music, AS is set works, 3 from "classical" and 3 from jazz. I think it will still be Schubert's Unfinished symphony 1st mvt, J.S.Bach suite No3 in D maj, Ouverture, Air and Gigue, and Mozart's Clarinet Concerto 3rd mvt (rondo). Jazz was Jelly Roll Morton "Black bottom stomp", Count Basie "Jumpin' at the woodside" and Miles Davis, the name escapes me now and it's shameful... Anyway, we had to analyse and learn these works as we were only allowed partial scores in the exam...DO SOME BACKGROUND/CONTEXT work into them too, as there is an essay based question at the end of the paper as well as 2 set work lots of qu's and 1 unknown sight analysis type thing. Time is ample for the exam if you know what you're doing- 1:45 with 0:15 to read the paper and listen to the extracts.

A2 is similar, though there is more emphasis on vocal music, and the set works can be from many different options e.g. music for the stage...you can chose to compose a song, programme music or film music, harmony is pretty much the same and more, and obviously performance up's its game.

Anyway, you're probably doing a totally different board, but never mind, i've written it all now
Good luck