Exploring Song Structure Presentation

A listening and analyses lesson introducing pupils to key elements of song structure through increasingly complex songs including analysis of ‘Scarborough Fair’, ‘Fast Car’ and ‘Stand by Me’.  Contains all embedded media files and a song lyrics worksheet as ‘plain text’.

(Taken from the Secondary/KS3 “What Makes a Good Song?” unit)

Pitch - Treble and Bass Clef Staff Notation Knowledge Organiser

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Music History & Theory Page)

Staves, Clefs and Notes

A 3-page worksheet introducing pupils to the lines and spaces of the Treble Clef in terms of staff notation to encourage pupils to learn the correct pitch note names.

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Secondary/KS3 “Keyboard Skills” unit)

Clefs and Repeat Symbols

Introduces pupils to the musical symbols for repeat markings and their use and also the treble and bass clef symbols encouraging pupils to draw both these symbols and understand their use to indicate high or low pitch.

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Secondary/KS3 “Hooks and Riffs” unit)

Treble Clef Staff Notation

Naming notes in the Treble Clef.  Contains Answers

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Secondary/KS3 “Keyboard Skills” unit)

Bass Clef Staff Notation

Naming notes in the Bass Clef. 

Contains Answers

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Secondary/KS3 “All About the Bass” unit)

Sharps and Flats

A 2-page worksheet introducing or revising pupils to the names of black keys on a piano/keyboard and the symbols for sharps and flats. 

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Secondary/KS3 “Keyboard Skills” unit)

Duration - Note Values and Rests Knowledge Organiser

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Music History & Theory Page)

Watch the Time

Includes knowledge and understanding of beat/pulse, rhythm and marches and waltzes along with note durations and time signatures.

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Secondary/KS3 “I’ve Got Rhythm” unit)

Tempo, Dynamics and Articulation

Introduces pupils to Italian musical terms relating to tempo, dynamics and gradations of dynamics as well as introducing legato and staccato articulation markings. 

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Secondary/KS3 “Building Bricks” unit)

Duration - Dots, Ties and Triplets Knowledge Organiser

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Music History & Theory Page)

Dotted Notes

A 2-page worksheet on dotted note durations and their equivalent rests.

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Music History & Theory Page)

Dots, Ties and Triplets

Pupils add missing tied notes, add missing dots and identify and describe triplet note groupings.  Contains answers.

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Music History & Theory Page)

Soundtracks Theory

Pupils construct intervals of a 5th adding notes above and below treble and bass clef staff notation and work out the note names of chords (also in treble and bass clef notation with accidentals) before aurally evaluating whether they are a concord or discord. 

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Secondary/KS3 “Soundtracks” unit)

Syncopation

2-page worksheet on identifying syncopated vs. non-syncopated Samba rhythms, completing the missing barlines in syncopated Samba rhythms and adding pulse/beat counts below syncopated Samba rhythms.  Contains answers.

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Secondary/KS3 “Samba” unit)

Building Bricks Rhythmic and Graphic Score Dictation Exercises

Rhythmic dictation based on the ‘Promenade’ theme from Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” and graphic score completion based on ’Dawn Interlude’ from “Peter Grimes” by Benjamin Britten.

 All of the audio examples are given on the accompanying audio file. 

I’ve Got Rhythm Dictation— Rhythm Grid and Single Line Rhythm Dictation

Contains 3 Rhythm Grids for pupils to complete (based on crotchet and pairs of quavers beats and rests) and two single line rhythms to complete in 2/4 and 3/4 time.  Answers provided.  All of the accompanying audio extracts are provided on the audio file. 

Form and Structure Melodic Dictation Exercises

Basic melodic dictation of Question and Answer Phrases and short Binary and Ternary Form examples using treble clef staff notation.  All of the audio examples are given on the accompanying audio file.

Sonority City Graphic Score Dictation

Graphic Score dictation based on the opening of Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” Includes answers with audio example given on the above audio file.

What Makes a Good Song? — Melodic Dictation

Treble clef melodic dictation from riffs and melodies of famous popular songs. 

Answers provided.  All of the accompanying audio extracts are provided on the audio file. 

Hooks and Riffs Rhythmic and Melodic Dictation Exercises

Introduces pupils to some basic rhythmic and melodic dictation based on simple ostinatos and riffs, starting with graphic notation and moving onto single line rhythm notation and finally using staff notation.   All of the audio examples are given on the accompanying audio file. 

Soundtracks Melodic Dictation Exercises

Bass and Treble Clef Melodic Dictation based on Film Music Themes.

 All of the audio examples are given on the accompanying audio file.

Samba Rhythm Dictation

Rhythm Grid and Single line rhythm dictation using Samba rhythms performed on instruments of Samba featuring syncopation in 4/4 time.   Answers provided.  All of the accompanying audio extracts are provided on the audio file. 

Roll and Answer

Good introductory task for getting to know new Year 7’s.  Pupils will need a random number generator (1-6).

What is Music?

3-page Presentation together with 6 audio embedded extracts to discuss ‘What is Music?’

Exploring Sounds

Pupils brainstorm sounds around them in the classroom and then listen to 10 audio extracts discussing them as ‘musical’ or ‘non-musical’ sounds.

Body and Vocal Sounds

Template to brainstorm body and vocal sounds.

Time and Metre

4-page worksheet on beat, pulse, simple duple, triple and quadruple metre and time signatures.  Contains answers.

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Secondary/KS3 “Dance Music” unit)

Simple and Compound Time

3-page worksheet on simple and compound time signatures.  Contains answers.

(Taken from the Musical Contexts Secondary/KS3 “Dance Music” unit)