Compositional devices: accompaniment, development, theme, transition, unity and variation

What this note covers

1. What compositional devices are and why the syllabus names them
2. Accompaniment devices: riff, ostinato, pedal, harmonisation, Alberti bass
3. Development devices: augmentation, canon, call and response, fragmentation, sampling
4. Subject and theme: motif and word painting
5. Transition devices: voice leading, modulation, risers and breakdowns
6. Unity and variation: repetition, imitation, sequence, diminution, extension, harmonic change
7. Using devices in the external assessment essay

7 sections · 10 key terms & formulas · 6 common mistakes