This article sets out to investigate the language used by pupils in the appraisal of their own compositions. One objective of the research was to reveal how children used the language of the musical elements as defined by the National Curriculum as pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture and structure. The results suggest that the pupils' perspective gives a more differentiated understanding of progression both within and across the musical elements than that presented by Music National Curriculum documentation. The research confirms the view that listening, language and assessment are highly complex and takes issue with the proposals of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) to provide level descriptions for music.