Learning, Listening, Composing & Evaluating Activities |
In this unit, pupils explore the genre of popular song, learning how different artists and groups have created different musical arrangements of the same song. Pupils learn about different musical devices used in popular songs including how the different structural elements are sequenced horizontally to produce the classic form of a popular song, as well as how different textural layers combine vertically showing awareness of the different parts used in a popular song. Pupils explore hooks and riffs and learn about their function within popular songs. The unit ends with a choice of pathways building on skills, knowledge and understanding of learning during the unit – teachers can choose whether pupils spend the final two lessons composing their own popular song or whether to allow pupils to perform their own arrangement of a popular song from a wealth of options given. Element Focus - Texture, Timbre & Dynamics, Melody & Harmony, Structure & Form |
Secondary/Key Stage 3 Unit - Popular Song |
Starter & Plenary Activities |
Performing Activities - Songs & Scores |
Exploring Songs & Arrangements |
Supporting Activities - Cover & Homework |
Old Style Performing Songs & Scores (will be updated at a later date) |
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Score 22 - Three Lions Full Score
(Song Example on Audio 6)
(MIDI 1 - Ostinato A; MIDI 2 - Ostinato B; MIDI 3 - Verse with Melody, Chords and Bass Line) |
Song Sheet 2 - England/Vindaloo Score 23 - England/Vindaloo Full Score
(Song Example on Audio 7)
(MIDI 4 - Melody, Accompaniment, Chords and Bass Line) |
(Song Example on Audio 3)
(MIDI 5 -Bass Line; MIDI 6 - Chords; MIDI 7 - Bass Line & Chords together; MIDI 8 - Percussion Rhythms; MIDI 9 - Bass Line, Chords & Percussion Rhythms together; MIDI 10 - Bridge Melody; MIDI 11 - Counter Melody) |
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Score 2 - Performing the Riff and Melody to “Praise You”
(Song Example on Audio 10) (MIDI 12 - “Praise You” Riff; MIDI 13 - “Praise You” Melody) |
Score 24 - Riffs & Hooks from Popular Songs
(Riff examples on Audio 13) (MIDI 14 - Riff from “Bitter Sweet Symphony”; MIDI 15 - Riff from “Glory Box”) |
Song Sheet 5 - Love is All Around
(MIDI 16 - Song Melody & Melody Line; MIDI 17 - Chords; MIDI 18 - Bass Line; MIDI 19 - All parts together) |
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Song Sheet 6 - “I’ll be There for You” Score 6 - “I’ll be There for You” (MIDI 20 - Song Melody & Melody Line; MIDI 21 - Chords; MIDI 22 - Bass Line; MIDI 23 - All parts together) |
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Where to Start? Focus on the Chorus |
Song Structure |
Learning a new Popular Song |
The Drum Kit |
The Production Studio |
The Recording Studio |
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Listening to Types and Styles of Songs
(Uses Audio 1) |
Making Arrangements
(Uses Audio 2) |
Arrangements of “Stand by Me”
(Uses Audios 3 & 4) |
Stand by Me Evaluation Sheet |
The Drum Kit
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Listening to Arrangements of “Killing me Softly” (Uses Audio 5) |
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Listening to “Vindaloo”
(Uses Audio 7) |
Listening to “Wannabe”
(Uses Audio 8) |
Listening to “Wayfaring Stranger” (Uses Audio 9) |
Listening to “Comfortably Numb” (Uses Audio 14) |
Listening to “Give me One Reason”
(Uses Audio 15) |
Composing a Popular Song |
Popular Song Lyrics Bank |
Scheme of Work |
Lesson Plan (PDF) |
Lesson Plan (DOC) |
Lesson Bundles (ZIP) Download all the resources you need for each lesson (excluding video files) in a ZIP file. |
Lesson 1 Exploring Musical Arrangements |
Resource Bundle |
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Lesson 2 Exploring Popular Song Structure & Textural Layers |
Resource Bundle |
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Lesson 3 Exploring Arrangements of a Popular Song |
Resource Bundle |
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Lesson 4 Exploring Hooks & Riffs |
Resource Bundle |
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Lessons 5 & 6A Composing a Popular Song |
5 & 6A |
5 & 6A |
Resource Bundle |
Lessons 5 & 6B Performing a Popular Song |
5 & 6B |
5 & 6B |
Resource Bundle |
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Song Structure Card Sort
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Popular Song Titles Picture Quiz |
Listening to “Praise You” Card Sort (Uses Audio 10) |
Listening to Riffs & Hooks Card Sort (Uses Audio 11) |
Riffs & Hooks from Popular Songs |
My Popular Song Learning |
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Popular Song Keywords Word Search |
Pop Groups & Artists from the 1960’s onwards Word Search |
Popular Song in the 1970’s Picture Matching |
Popular Song of the 1960’s Word Search |
Popular Song Word Search |
1980’s Match the Artist Quiz |
Music Technology - The Recording Studio |
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The Drum Kit |
Song Writing: Recording and Selling your Song |
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“Killing me Softly” |
“Can’t get you out of my Head” |
“Hey Jude” |
“Imagine” |
“When you say Nothing” |
“Tears in Heaven” |
“Every breath you Take” |
“(Everything I do) I do it for you” |
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“The Flintstones” |
“Groovy Kind of Love” |
“Words” |
“Somethin’ Stupid” |
“Take my Breath Away” |
“Fields of Gold” |
“Angels” |
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Parts of a Song Kindly submitted by a subscriber, this presentation takes pupils through the form and structure of a Popular Song |