The cards Question In a pop song, what is a hook? Tap to flip Answer A short, memorable musical idea that recurs, designed to catch the listener's ear Question What is a bass line? Tap to flip Answer A low-pitched part that supports the harmony and melody Question What does timbre mean in music? Tap to flip Answer The distinctive sound of an instrument or voice Question When working out music by ear, which two elements can you work out separately to simplify the process? Tap to flip Answer Rhythm and pitch Question Give one word used to describe the shape of a melody. Tap to flip Answer E.g. ascending, descending, conjunct or disjunct Question Is working out music by ear only possible for naturally gifted musicians? Tap to flip Answer No. Anyone can do it with practice, helped by strategies such as working out rhythm and pitch separately Question How can individual pitches be identified when working out a melody by ear? Tap to flip Answer Through trial and error Question What is a synth lead? Tap to flip Answer A type of synthesiser well suited to playing melodic lines Question What is a syncopated rhythm? Tap to flip Answer A rhythm that emphasises notes in between the main beats Question In the drum groove of Blinding Lights, which drum plays the backbeat? Tap to flip Answer The snare Question In the drum groove of Blinding Lights, which beats does the kick emphasise? Tap to flip Answer Beats 1 and 3 Question In the drum groove of Blinding Lights, which part of the kit plays a repeated pattern alongside the snare backbeat? Tap to flip Answer The hi-hats Question Which sound plays the hook in Blinding Lights? Tap to flip Answer A synth lead Question What kind of rhythms does the hook of Blinding Lights use? Tap to flip Answer Syncopated rhythms Question When recreating a drum beat by ear, what two things help? Tap to flip Answer Breaking it into small chunks and picking out individual instruments or lines Question What is an accompaniment? Tap to flip Answer A part that supports the melody or main melodic parts Question What is a phrase in a melody? Tap to flip Answer A section of a melody, often 2 or 4 bars long Question What is a synth pad? Tap to flip Answer A type of synthesiser sound that suits sustained sounds and chords Question What is melodic shape? Tap to flip Answer The outline of a melodic idea, created by its different pitches Question How is the hook in As It Was built? Tap to flip Answer From two repeated phrases that are only slightly different from each other Question What can make it easier to recreate melodic ideas quickly? Tap to flip Answer Identifying repeated phrases Question Which type of synthesiser sound suits accompaniments with sustained notes and chords: synth lead or synth pad? Tap to flip Answer Synth pad Question What is a riff? Tap to flip Answer A short, repeated musical idea that forms the basis of a pop song, often in an accompanying part Question What is a pedal in music? Tap to flip Answer A continuous (usually bass) note that stays the same while the chords change Question What is an interval? Tap to flip Answer The distance in pitch between two notes (e.g. a 3rd) Question How does the bass riff in Under Pressure create a pedal? Tap to flip Answer By repeating the same pitches as the chords change Question Why is the bass riff in Feel Good Inc. more complex than the one in Under Pressure? Tap to flip Answer It is syncopated and has more varied pitches Question To work out a bass riff, what should you do after hearing it on its own? Tap to flip Answer Break it into small chunks and work out the notes one by one Question Do bass parts always just play the lowest notes of the chords? Tap to flip Answer No. Many bass lines are interesting patterns and can be defining features of songs Where this deck sits in the curriculum Curriculum National Curriculum for England Stage Key stage 3 (Years 7–9) Course KS3 Music Unit Working out pop hooks and riffs by ear England's National Curriculum sets what is taught; the units and their order are Oak National Academy's. Flash Feed is not affiliated with Oak or any exam board.
How this deck was checked On 2026-11-03, every card was compared with its source: the lessons of Oak National Academy, a public body funded by England's Department for Education that publishes lessons for the national curriculum. Because the cards come from those lessons, no second source was sought. The comparison was done automatically, not by a teacher, so a card can still be wrong. Flash Feed is not affiliated with any source named here.
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A Music lesson by Oak National Academy licensed under Open Government Licence (OGL)
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