Hooks and Riffs explores music based on repeated musical patterns through the genres of Popular Music (Hooks and Riffs) and Music from the Western Classical Tradition (Ostinatos).

There are a number of “routes”, given in the “Scheme of Work and Lesson Pathways” allowing teachers to use and sequence the resources in whatever order best suits their school, classes and pupils. 

 

The unit aims to combine the inter-related musical strands of Performing: Playing and Singing; Creating - Composing and Improvising and Critical Engagement: Listening and Appraising. 

The music theory focus of this unit is on treble and bass clef symbols as an indication of pitch and musical repeat markings and symbols.  Simple rhythmic and melodic dictation exercises are provided in both graphic and staff notations based on repeated musical patterns.  The DOITNOW and Plenary Presentations contain a wealth of activities based on repeated musical patterns which allow pupils to consolidate their skills, knowledge and understanding of the unit. 

Hooks and Riffs - Scheme of Work and Lesson Pathways

Exploring Repeated Musical Patterns

Hooks and Riffs - DOITNOW (Starters) and Plenary Activities

Hooks and Riffs - “DOITNOW” Presentation

Cutting down on printables, file storage and media files, the “new look” Musical Contexts “DOITNOW” Hooks and Riffs lesson openers Presentation contains  a wealth (only two samples shown here), of effective “DOITNOW’s” when delivering the Hooks and Riffs unit in just one place - all audio and video files are embedded and there’s accompanying Teacher’s Notes in the “slide comments” section.  Some of the “DOITNOW’s” lend themselves to development into (optional) longer, more structured activities -suggestions in the “slide comments.”

Hooks and Riffs - 5 Minutes Silent Reading

For teachers who prefer to begin their lessons with quiet, focused openers.  All contain “Questions to Think About” which can also be used as Cover or Homework tasks.

Hooks and Riffs - Music Theory and Rhythmic and Melodic Dictation

Hooks and Riffs Music Theory - 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.

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1. Repeated Musical Patterns

2. Ostinatos

3.  Riffs

4. Hooks

5. The Habanera and Carmen

6. Bolero

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. 

Score 1 - Performing Bass Line Riffs from “Sweet Dreams”

Audio 1 - Opening Bass Line Riff from “Sweet Dreams”

MIDI 1 - Easy Bass Line Riff from “Sweet Dreams” (repeated 4 times)

MIDI 2 - Moderate Bass Line Riff from “Sweet Dreams” (repeated 4 times)

MIDI 3 - Advanced Bass Line Riff from “Sweet Dreams” (repeated 4 times)

Song Sheet 1 - Singing “Sweet Dreams” Song Sheet

Audio 3 - “Sweet Dreams” (opening section) Audio 4 - “Sweet Dreams” (backing track opening section)

Video 1 - “Sweet Dreams” (karaoke singalong with words)

MIDI 4 - “Sweet Dreams” unison opening MIDI 5 - “Sweet Dreams” middle section lower part MIDI 6 - “Sweet Dreams” middle section upper part

MIDI 7 - “Sweet Dreams” middle section upper and lower parts together MIDI 8 - “Sweet Dreams” final section upper part

MIDI 9 - “Sweet Dreams” final section upper and lower parts together MIDI 10 - “Sweet Dreams” complete two parts

Score 2 - Performing Bass Line Riffs and the song melody to “Sweet Dreams”

 

MIDI 11 - “Sweet Dreams” Easy Bass Line Riff with song melody

MIDI 12 - “Sweet Dreams” Moderate Bass Line Riff with song melody

MIDI 13 - “Sweet Dreams” Advanced Bass Line Riff with song melody

Score 3 - “Sweet Dreams” - The ‘Six Bar Bridge’

 

 

MIDI 14 - “Sweet Dreams” - The ‘Six Bar Bridge’

Song Sheet 2 - “Sweet Dreams” (Hold your head up (call and response) section)

Score 4 - Performing “Sweet Dreams” (Hold your head up) section

 

Audio 5 - “Sweet Dreams” (Hold your head up (call and response) section)

MIDI 15 - “Sweet Dreams” (Hold your head up (call and response) section) - both parts together

MIDI 16 - “Sweet Dreams” (Hold your head up (call and response section) - both parts with tonic pedal

Score 5 - “Sweet Dreams” performing the ‘Instrumental’ section

Audio 6 - “Sweet Dreams” (instrumental section)

MIDI 17 - “Sweet Dreams” (instrumental section melody line)

Score 6 - Performing “Sweet Dreams”

 

(The original song structure to the song “Sweet Dreams” for class or ensemble performance)

Hooks and Riffs - “Sweet Dreams” - The Eurythmics

Worksheet 2 - Performing and Composing “Bolero” by Ravel

Video 6 - Tovill and Dean performing to “Bolero” by Ravel (Dancing on Ice)

Video 7 - Teaching the Bassline to “Bolero” using Body Percussion

Video 8 - Teaching the Ostinato from “Bolero” using Body Percussion

MIDI 28 - Bassline from “Bolero” - Ravel (repeated 4 times)

Worksheet 3 - Listening to “Bolero” by Ravel

 

Audio 17 - Listening to “Bolero” by Ravel

Worksheet 4 - Listening to “Habanera” from ‘Camen’

 

Audio 19 - “That’s Love” (Habanera) from ‘Carmen’

Worksheet 5 - Listening to “The Clock Symphony” by Haydn

 

Audio 20 - 2nd Movement from Symphony No.101 (The Clock) - Haydn

Hooks and Riffs - “We Will Rock You” - Queen

Worksheet 1 - Listening to “We Will Rock You” - Queen

(uses Audio 8)

 

Audio 8 - “We Will Rock You” - Queen (opening)

Song Sheet 3 - “We Will Rock You”

Audio 10 - “We Will Rock You”

Audio 11 - “We Will Rock You” (karaoke singalong)

Video 2 - “We Will Rock You” (karaoke singalong)

MIDI 18 - “We Will Rock You” (song melody and repeated riff)

Score 7 - Performing “We Will Rock You”

 

MIDI 18 - “We Will Rock You” (song melody and repeated riff)

Score 10 - Performing the “Habanera” from ‘Carmen’

MIDI 29 - The Habanera Rhythm (repeated 4 times)

MIDI 30 - Performing the “Easy Bassline” Ostinato from “Habanera” from ‘Carmen’

MIDI 31 - Performing Bizet’s Bassline Ostinato from “Habanera” from ‘Carmen’

MIDI 32 - Performing the Easy Melody to Bizet’s Bassline Ostinato from ‘Carmen’

MIDI 33 - Performing Bizet’s Melody and Bassline Ostinato from ‘Carmen’

BBC Ten Pieces

The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra perform “Habanera” from ‘Carmen Suite No.2’ conducted by Alpesh Chauhan.

BBC Ten Pieces

Bobby Lockwood and Naomi Wilkinson introduce Bizet’s ‘Carmen’

BBC Ten Pieces

Alternative arrangements of “Habanera” - Beginner/Pre-Grade 1; Grade 1-3 and Grade 4-5”

Song Sheet 5 - “That’s Love” from ‘Carmen’

 

MIDI 34 - “That’s Love” from ‘Carmen’ Song Melody

Audio 19 - “That’s Love” from ‘Carmen’ Song Example

Score 11 - Performing and Improvising “The Clock Symphony”

 

MIDI 35 - Performing the Clock Symphony Ostinato

Hooks and Riffs - “Bolero” - Ravel

Hooks and Riffs - “Habanera” from ‘Carmen’ - Bizet

Hooks and Riffs - 2nd Movement from Symphony No.101 - Haydn

Hooks and Riffs - Creating and Evaluating “Chocolate Machine” Ostinatos

Worksheet 6 - Creating a Chocolate Machine using Ostinatos

 

Video 5 - The Everlasting Gobstopper Machine

Audio 16 - The Everlasting Gobstopper Machine

Worksheet 7 - Evaluating Chocolate Machine Ostinato Pieces

 

Score 8 - Performing the Riff from “Word Up”

Audio 12 - Opening Riff from “Word Up”

MIDI 19 - Bass Line and Chords Parts (together) from opening riff from “Word Up” (repeated four times)

Song Sheet 4 - “Word Up”

Audio 13 - “Word Up”

Audio 14 - “Word Up” (karaoke singalong)

Video 3 - “Word Up” (karaoke singalong)

MIDI 20 - “Word Up” (song melody verse 1 & chorus)

Score 9 - “Word Up” performing the Riff and Melody Line to the Verse/Chorus

MIDI 21 - “Word Up” Riff with Verse Melody

MIDI 22 - “Word Up” Riff with Chorus Melody

Hooks and Riffs - “Word Up” - Cameo

Hooks and Riffs - “The Knight’s Farewell”

Score 12 - Performing The Knight’s Farewell

 

MIDI 36 - The Knight’s Farewell

Hooks and Riffs - Creating and Improvising with Ostinatos and Riffs

Worksheet 8 - Creating and Improvising with Ostinatos and Riffs

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Hooks and Riffs - Cover and Homework Activities

Hooks and Riffs - Scheme of Work and Lesson Pathways

Includes Scheme of Work Overview, Unit Learning Objectives, Learning Outcomes and Lesson Pathways.

Hooks and Riffs Knowledge Organiser

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Hooks and Riffs - Plenary Review Activities

A series of lesson reviews where pupils review their learning and understanding.