Term 1: African Drumming - Syncopation and Polyrhythms
Students will gain knowledge of musical traditions of Africa. They will understand the use of the Djembe and its performance techniques and gain knowledge of rhythmic and texture devices such as Call and Response and Polyrhythms.
Students will perform their pieces with formative feedback from both their peers and class teacher. In addition, students will complete Focus On Sound tests related to Rhythm and Texture.
Spiritual
Christian songs created by enslaved African people.
Call and response
leader call/sings a rhythmic phrase which is answered by a chorus of voices.
Tonic
first note of scale.
Subdominant
fourth note of scale.
Dominant
fifth note of scale.
Improvisation
to make up a rhythm or melody as you go.
Blues shuffles/walking bass
where a note appears on every beat in each bar and gives the impression of “walking.
Groove
repetitive rhythmic effect.
Harmonica
mouth organ.
Guitar
6/12 stringed instrument electric or acoustic
Develop the individual:
Social - extrinsic musical skills: Communication, Teamwork, Creativity, Listening,
Create a supportive community:
Social - extrinsic musical skills: Communication, Teamwork, Creativity, Listening,
Term 2: "All About the Bass" - functions of Bass lines in Popular and Classical Music
Students will explore how bass lines function in several different genres. They will begin by studying notes of the bass clef and begin to learn how to read notes on the stave within that clef. They will practise their note reading through exercises as well as reading pieces written for Bass clef (e.g. Beethoven's 7th Symphony, 2nd movement). Students will explore Walking Bass Lines in Rock n Roll and perform Bill Hailey & His Comets: Shake, Rattle and Roll. Following an individual / paired keyboard performance of a walking bass, students will explore Alberti Bass and Arpeggios in Classical and Pop Music culminating in a paired performance of Heart and Soul. Learning in class will be supplemented by studies on Focus On Sound where students will explore Bass instruments and improve their Bass clef note reading.
Students will be continuously assessed via Focus On Sound as part of their homework exercises. Students will also perform their work either individually or as a pair on the keyboard to a set of agreed criteria.
Hook
a musical or lyrical phrase which is memorable.
Chorus
also known as a refrain and repeats after every verse.
Verse
Part of a song structure organised into a stanza which changes throughout the song.
Middle 8
instrumental break
Vocals
one or more layers of singing.
Multi track
means by which separate tracks are recorded individually.
Master track
Mixed down track of all layers.
Microphone
device used to amplify sound.
Earworm
riff/short tune that stays playing inside your head even when music is finished.
Vamp
a repeated phrase which can be used while waiting for a singer to be ready.
Develop the individual:
Recognition of Rock 'n' Roll music from 1950s.
Understanding of the roll of music in the 1700s along with the purpose of Music at that time.
Music extrinsic skills - confidence, teamwork, adaptability, creativity.
Create a supportive community:
Music extrinsic skills - perseverance, teamwork, communication, creativity
Term 3: Reggae
Students will explore the music of Bob Marley and the features of Reggae. They will explore off-beat strumming on Guitar along with Hooks and Drum grooves unique to the genre, and will work in groups to perform Three Little Birds.
Students will be continually assessed on their performance of Bob Marley: Three Little Birds and will receive feedback from teacher and peers. Further assessment will take place through listening activities and their work on Focus on Sound.
Djembe
drum shaped like a goblet and played with bare hands.
Talking drum
hour glass shaped pressure drum. Played with sticks to imitate speech. Pitch is changed by squeezing changing the length of the strings.
Gonkogui
bell with high note and low note.
Cross rhythm
effect produced when two conflicting rhythms are heard together.
Polyrhythm
when two or more rhythms with different pulses are heard together.
Kora
a long-necked African harp with many strings.
Mbira
thumb piano.
Balafon
West African xylophone pitched with bars made from logs or bamboo.
Homophonic
block chords.
Yiri
4 note scale.
Develop the individual:
Knowledge of the musical traditions of Jamaica and popular culture in the UK in the late 1970s.
Create a supportive community:
Development of communication and teamwork. Understanding of music from other countries and within the context of their own western musical culture.
Term 4: The Blues
Students will learn to play the 12 Bar Blues on the Acoustic Guitar and how to extend triads with the 7th degree on the Keyboard. They will gain an understanding of improvisation and use the Blues Scale to do this above the 12 Bar Blues.
Students will be assessed on their group work in performing a piece of Blues where improvisation on the Blues Scale as well as an accurate performance of the 12 Bar Blues will be expected. There will be ongoing assessment on Focus On Sound.
Programmatic
music which doesn't exist for its own sake.
Motifs
short melodic or rhythmic ideas used to represent characters or images.
Theme transformation
where a basic theme undergoes changes to mirror a situation.
Mussorgsky
composer of the famous piece Pictures at an Exhibition.
Romantic Period
approximately 19th century period of time.
Tone Poem
a long single movement piece for orchestra.
Tutti
full orchestra.
Concert Overture
a long single movement piece for orchestra.
Programme symphony
in several movements, drawing inspiration from an extra-musical element.
Idee Fixe
A short melodic idea.
Develop the individual:
Understanding of the historical context of the Blues with ties to Slavery, Black History and Culture.
Create a supportive community:
Develop teamwork, communication, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, perseverance and resilience.
Term 5: Programmatic Music - The Romantic Period
Students will explore how Romantic composers composed descriptive Music to illustrate poetry and other stories from folklore. They will gain understanding of triple time, minor chords & keys and melodic structures.
Students will be assessed through Performance and Composition by exploring music by Edvard Grieg and Camille Saint-Saens. They will compose their own music in staff notation written in triple time and in a minor key.
Anthem
a musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history and traditions of its people.
Patriotism
loyalty to your country.
Strophic
repeated verses.
Nationalism
shared feeling of significance in a geographical area.
Fanfare
a short ceremonial tune or flourish.
Culture
characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.
Maestoso
majestically.
Vivace
lively.
Alla Marcia
in the style of a march.
Grandioso
magnificently, grandly.
Develop the individual:
Students will enhance their analytical skills through listening exercises, whilst developing their creativity and team work skills in composing and performing music in pairs.
Create a supportive community:
Term 6: Modern Day Programmatic Music - Theme Park Music (Music Tech 2)
Students will explore programmatic music in theme parks whereby composers are writing with commercial intent. They will explore chromatic harmony, melody, texture and rhythm in composing to a commission
Students will be assessed through assignments on Focus On Sound and in-class listening tasks. They will also compose a piece to a brief with formative feedback from staff and students.
Rondo
a musical structure which is represented by the letters ABACADAE etc.a musical structure which is represented by the letters ABACADAE etc.
Ritornello
theme which recurs after each episode.
Episode
the sections which go in between the ritornello.
Allegro
quick, lively tempo.
Adagio
slow tempo.
Presto
very fast.
Con brio
with life.
Dolce
sweetly.
Coda
a section added to the end of a piece.
Metronome
a device to accurately mark out a pulse, can be digital or mechanical.
Develop the individual:
Students will develop their team work, creative, listening and analytical skills through listening and composing activities.
Create a supportive community:
Exploration of Music used commercially in composing to a brief.