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Musical Contexts Year 7 Baseline Assessment |
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Musical Contexts SQUILT |
Exploring Rhythm,
Chords and Metre in Music for Dance |
Dance Music - The Baroque
Dance Suite Resources |
Dance Music - 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. The Baroque
Dance Suite 2. Paired
Dance: The Waltz 3. Latin Dance:
The Tango 4. American
Line Dance and Country and Western Music. 5. Folk Dance:
Irish Jig and Reel and Folk Music 6. Disco 7.
Club Dance |
Dance Music - Paired
Dance: The Waltz Resources |
Dance Music - Plenary
Review Activities A series of lesson reviews where
pupils review their learning and understanding. |
Dance Music - DOITNOW
(Starters) and Plenary Activities |
Dance Music - “DOITNOW”
Presentation Cutting down on printables, file
storage and media files, the “new look” Musical Contexts “DOITNOW” Dance Music lesson openers Presentation contains
a smaller range of generic dance music lesson openers than other units (due
to the flexible pathways) when delivering the Dance Music unit in just one place - all media
files are embedded and there’s accompanying Teacher’s Notes in the “slide
comments” section. |
Dance Music - American
Line Dance/Country and Western Music Resources |
Dance Music - Latin Dance:
The Tango Resources |
Dance Music - Cover and
Homework Resources |
Dance Music - Folk Dance:
Irish Jig and Reel Resources |
Dance Music - Improvised
Dance: Disco/Disco Music Resources |
Dance music takes an
explorative look into rhythm, chords and metre in a variety of different
types, styles and genres of dance music.
By exploring the characteristic musical features of dance music from
different times and places, pupils will understand the important connection
between the steps, movement and formation of the dance and how these are
inter-related within musical features such as time, metre, rhythms and chords
in the music. The unit is entirely
flexible in delivery with several lesson pathways and may be delivered as a
‘double unit’ over an entire term, culminating in pupil’s creating and
promoting their own Club Dance track.
From simple marches in 2/4 time, to waltzes in 3/4 time, The Baroque
Dance Suite to Latin Dance: The Tango, from Country and Western music that
accompanies American Line Dance to Irish Folk Music used for the Irish Jig
and Reel and modern improvised dance music such as Disco and Club Dance. To gain a deeper understanding of dance
music, it’s a good idea to watch brief performances of the chosen dance music
genre ‘in action’ or even attempt basic dance routines and steps with pupils,
along with performing, composing, listening and appraising activities: all
fully resourced below. The emphasis
throughout the unit is on the characteristic rhythms, time signatures and
metre (simple and compound time) and use of chords (primary and seventh
chords) in a range of dance music from different times and places. |
Dance Music - Scheme of
Work and Lesson Pathways |
Dance Music - Scheme of
Work and Lesson Pathways Includes Scheme of Work Overview,
Unit Learning Objectives, Learning Outcomes and Lesson Pathways. |
Dance Music - Club Dance
Resources |
Dance Music - Music Theory |
4-page worksheet on beat, pulse, simple duple,
triple and quadruple metre and time signatures. Contains answers. |
3-page worksheet on simple and compound time
signatures. Contains answers |
Please feel
free to copy, modify, customise, personalise and use Musical Contexts resources for your own use, with your students and pupils, within your
own school or college and on internal Virtual Learning Environments
(VLEs). Please
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Dance Music - March Music
Resources |
Key Words,
Concepts and Musical Knowledge |
Dance Music from Different Times and Places:
Marches, Baroque Dance Suite, Waltz, Tango, Irish Jig and Reel, American Line
Dance, Disco, Club Dance. Accompaniment Patterns in Dance Music, Rhythms in
Dance Music, Texture: Melody and Accompaniment, Primary Chords (I, IV, V,
V7), Simple and Compound Time Signatures (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8) |
Music Theory |
Simple and Compound Time Signatures |
Links to GCSE
Music |
Musical Forms and Devices Popular Music |
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Pupils sort musical features and characteristics of dances in the
Baroque Dance Suite into correct columns.
Contains answers. |
The Baroque Dance
Suite Study Guide A 4-page Study Guide introducing The Baroque Dance Suite,
characteristic musical features of each dance and 3 Listening Questions on
The Baroque Dance Suite. Contains Teacher’s Notes and answers.
The Baroque Dance Suite Listening Starter Audio
Baroque Dance Suite Example—Allemande
Baroque Dance Suite Example—Courante
Baroque Dance Suite Example—Sarabande
Baroque Dance Suite Example—Minuet
Baroque Dance Suite Example—Gigue |
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Waltz Keyboard warm-ups for Right then Right and Left Hands. |
A 4-page Study Guide on the background and development of the Waltz
including listening questions. Contains answers.
Waltz Audio 1 - Minuet from Symphony No.41 in C Major (Mozart)
Waltz Audio 2 - Voices of Spring (Johann Strauss)
Waltz Audio 3 - Blue Danube Waltz (Johann Strauss) |
Pupils create a melody to a waltz accompaniment using notes of the
Primary Chords (I, IV and V) in the given oom-cha-cha accompaniment. |
Performing the Blue
Danube Waltz Melody parts (including B flat and E flat) and a two-part duet
arrangement. |
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Pupils research the internet to identify the
type or style of dance from given clues. Requires ICT and internet access. |
Can be done without ICT. |
Dances from Around
the World Word Search 2 Can be done without ICT. |
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Performing Chords I, IV and V7 in D minor to 4 different
characteristic Tango rhythms. Contains
“rhythm counts” to help pupils with the dotted rhythms and syncopation. |
8-Bar Tango in D Minor for Ensemble Performing with Melody, Harmony,
Chords and Bass Line Parts using Chords I, IV and V7. Full Score and Individual Parts with and without note names. |
2-page worksheet analysing Chords I, IV and V7 in
D minor (used in Tango Argentino) and D Major (to prepare pupils to create
their own contrasting “B” section to Tango Argentino in the Major key) |
Composing and
Evaluating a Contrasting “B” Section to Tango Argentino Staged compositions task where pupils use chords I, IV and V7 in D
Major to create a contrasting “B” section to the given “A” section in D minor
using melody, harmony, chords and bass line parts before putting together a
performance of Tango Argentino in Ternary Form. Contains optional evaluation and peer assessment sheet. |
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A 3-page Study Guide introducing Tango and Tango Dance Music including
Listening Questions. Contains answers.
Tango Audio 1 - Tango Listening Starter
Tango Audio 2 - Habanera from Carmen (Bizet)
Tango Audio 3 - Bandoneon Solo Example
Tango Audio 4 - Libertango (Astor Piazzolla)
Tango Audio 5 - El Tango De Roxanne from “Moulin Rouge” (Listening
Question) |
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American Line Dance
Music Study Guide A 6-page Study Guide introducing American Line Dance (Country and
Western) Music including Primary Chords (I, IV and V) in G and A Major,
Listening Questions and a GCSE-style Listening Question on Country and
Western Music. Contains Teacher’s
Notes and Answers.
Line Dance Video 1 - Achy Breaky Heart (Billy Ray Cyrus)
Line Dance Video 2 - American Line Dance in Action
Line Dance Audio 1 - Contra Dance Example
Line Dance Audio 2 - Steel Guitar Example
Line Dance Audio 3 - Crotchet Bass Line Movement Example
Line Dance Audio 4 - Chord Changes in Achy Breaky Heart
Line Dance Audio 5 - Listening to Country and Western Music (5
Extracts)
Line Dance Audio 6 - GCSE-style Listening Question on Country and
Western Music |
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Performing “Achy
Breaky Heart” In the Key of A Major prefaced by a revision of the A Major scale,
Chords I and V in A Major and characteristic crotchets bass line
patterns. Contains song sheet with
lyrics and chords, melody line (with and without note names), chord patterns,
crotchet bass line and full score. |
Composing a Country
and Western Song for an American Line Dance Staged composition task providing skeleton lyrics for an 8-bar chorus
using Chords I & V in the style of a Country and Western Song suitable
for an American Line Dance using musical features of Country and Western
Music and American Line Dance. |
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Irish Jig and Reel
Study Guide A 5-page Study Guide introducing Irish Folk Dance (Jig and Reel),
instruments of Irish Folk Music, Listening Questions and a GCSE-style
Listening Question on Irish Jig and Reel.
Contains Teacher’s Notes and Answers.
Irish Jig and Reel Video 1 - Jig and Reel Dances in Action
Irish Jig and Reel Audio 1 - Irish Folk Music Instruments
Irish Jig and Reel Audio 2 - Listening to an Irish Jig and Reel
Irish Jig and Reel Audio 3 - Simple and Compound Time in Suite No.2
(Holst)
Irish Jig and Reel Audio 4 - Beat Grouping in Simple and Compound Time
Irish Jig and Reel Audio 5 - Listening to Irish Jigs and Reels
Irish Jig and Reel Audio 6 - GCSE-Style listening question on Irish
Jigs and Reels |
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Binary Form Irish Reel melody in 2/2 time with the option to create a
(drone) accompaniment using the chords of E minor and D Major.
Audio Example on Cooley’s Reel Audio |
Binary Form Irish Jig melody in 6/8 time with 1st and 2nd time bars in
G Major. Pupils create Chords I, IV and V in G Major and create a suitable jig
accompaniment. |
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Performing a Baroque
Dance Suite An easy 2-part complete Baroque Dance Suite (Allemande, Courante,
Sarabande, Minuet and Gigue) which can be put together via different
ensembles and then performed as a “class Baroque Dance Suite”. Pieces differ in ability but all have the
characteristic features of the different movements of a Baroque Dance
Suite. Scores given with and without
note names. |
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4-page Study Guide covering the main types,
styles and genres of Club Dance Music. All music in copyright, so suggested listening
for each genre given which can be found on all usual media sites. |
Creating and
Producing a Club Dance Track Creating and Producing a Club Dance
Track. Suggested composition process
with outline Form and Structure together with suggestions to producing
supporting marketing material (the latter could be useful for cover!) |
Performing “No
Limit” by 2 Unlimited Arrangement of the 1990’s early “techno” Club
Classic “No Limit” by 2 Unlimited.
Includes riffs and verse along with two “rapped/MC’d” sections, chords
(I, IV and V in A minor) and opportunities for pupils to create their own
chord patterns, bass line and drum loops to create a performance either based
on the original or their own arrangement.
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Listening for
Structure and Riffs in “No Limit” by 2 Unlimited Structural analysis of “No Limit” by 2
Unlimited in terms of musical material, riffs, repetition and
instrumentation. Uses a video with structural prompts and
questions. Contains answers.
Club Dance Video 1 - “No Limit” (2 Unlimited) with sectional prompts |
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Listening to Club
Dance Samples 10 linked audio extracts
for pupils to classify as either: Bass Riff Sample (1, 7 & 10), Vocal Riff Sample (2, 4 & 8), Drum Loop Sample (3 & 6) or a Synth Riff Sample (5 & 9). (Could be useful as a DOITNOW when exploring
Club Dance.) |
Riffs from: “Slam” (Pendulum); “Ecuador”
(Sash); “Sandstorm” (Darude); “Levels” Avicci; “Poppiholla” (Chicane) with
audio extracts of originals.
Club Dance Riffs Audio - Club Dance Riffs Extracts (from originals) |
Listening to “Around the World” by Daft Punk Identifying and then sequencing, using a
graphic score/table the layers of riffs, sounds and textural layers in
“Around the World” by Daft Punk.
Club Dance Around the World Audio - “Around the World” (Daft Punk) |
Performing “Rhythm
is a Dancer” by Snap Arrangement of the 1990’s early Club Classic
“Rhythm is a Dancer” by Snap. Includes
introduction riff, “la, la ooh” riff and melody and lyrics to chorus
(constructed on Am, F, G, Am chord sequence throughout). Optional stretch and challenge to work out
melody notes for the Bridge. |
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Listening to
“Levels” by Avicii Listening questions on the Club Dance track
“Levels” by Avicii. Contains answers. Club Dance Levels Audio |
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Simple Marches for 2-part Keyboard “Pomp & Circumstance Military March No.1
(Land of Hope and Glory)”, “March of the Toreadors from ‘Carmen’”, “The Dam
Busters March”, “Radetzky March” with and without note names. |
Selection of March Music for
listening/moving/conducting. |