Exploring Bass Clef Reading and Notation and Bass Line Musical Patterns

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All About the Bass - Bass Line Riffs Resources

All About the Bass - Cover and Homework Activities

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All About the Bass - Music Theory

All About the Bass Knowledge Organiser

All About the Bass - 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.

1. Bass Clef and Bass Clef Notation

2 & 3. Musical Instruments that use the Bass Clef A & B.

4. The Bass Guitar

5. Bass Line Patterns

All About the Bass - Plenary Review Activities

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

All About the Bass - DOITNOW (Starters) and Plenary Activities

All About the Bass - “DOITNOW” Presentation

Cutting down on printables, file storage and media files, the “new look” Musical Contexts “DOITNOW” All About the Bass lesson openers Presentation contains  a wealth (only two samples shown here), of effective “DOITNOW’s” when delivering the All About the Bass unit in just one place - all audio and video files are embedded and there’s accompanying Teacher’s Notes in the “slide comments” section. 

Bass Clef Reading and Notation forms the foundation of this unit which explores a range of commonly used Bass Line Patterns within a variety of different types, styles, and genres of music from different times and places. 

Pupils begin by exploring the various meanings of the term ‘bass’ before looking at the Bass Clef and the names of the notes in the lines, spaces and ledger lines on the Bass Stave.  Instruments and voices which use the Bass Clef are referred to throughout the unit. 

Bass Line Riffs, as short, memorable, repeated Bass Line Patterns are explored as pupils realise and perform some famous Bass Line Riffs from Bass Clef Notation from the genres of Rap and/or Hip-Hop.

Pupils then explore Walking Bass Line Patterns in the genres of Jazz, Blues, Rhythm and Blues and Rock and Roll, constructing a Walking Bass Line using Chords I, IV and V using notes of the chords (root, third and fifth) and ‘extra’ Passing Notes, performing a Rock and Roll-style song constructed on a Walking Bass Line and using Bass Line Riffs. 

The concept of prolonging a Bass Line chord by performing the notes separately, using Arpeggios, Broken Chords and Alberti Bass Line patterns, are explored through a range of music from different genres including Classical and Modern Solo Piano Music, Surf Rock, Popular Songs and Rock and Roll, all with short, structured performing, composing, and listening and appraising activities.

Finally, pupils explore “pedals”, and how a Bass Line note can be sustained or repeated over a long period of time, as a pedal note, exploring their use in Baroque Music, Organ and Keyboard Toccatas, Jazz, Popular Song and Film Music.

All About the Bass - Walking Bass Line Resources

All About the Bass - Scheme of Work and Lesson Pathways

All About the Bass - Scheme of Work and Lesson Pathways

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

All About the Bass - Alberti Bass Line Resources

All About the Bass - Arpeggios and Broken Chords Resources

All About the Bass - Pedals and Pedal Notes Resources