Term 1: 'Ode to Joy' - Connecting Melody and Harmony
Melody and Harmony are inextricably linked. Students will explore the functions of balanced melodic writing in the classical period and how harmony is used to support this writing. The relationship between melody and accompaniment will be explored as well as cadential movement through tonic and dominant triads
Students will explore melody writing through improvisation and composition, and write their own melody lines with harmonic accompaniment. Students will be assessed formatively through verbal feedback.
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:
Students will develop creativity, problem solving and communication skills in composing and performing their work.
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 Reggae through whole class approaches to the Acoustic Guitar. They will gain an understanding of how to perform Three Little Birds with the chords of A, D and E as well as syncopated strumming patterns and palm muting. They will then work in groups to create a performance of Three Little Birds by Bob Marley. In listening and appraising exercises, students will explore music written by artists such as Bob Marley, UB40 and Desmond Dekker.
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 explore the world of the Blues through ensemble performance. They will gain an understanding of the 12 Bar chord progression and the role of Tonic, Dominant and Subdominant triads. They will develop an understanding of deliberate dissonance through the use of blue notes and the blues scale as well as melodic improvisation. They will work with others to create an ensemble performance of bass line, chords and melody. In listening and appraising, students will listen to music by artists such as Eric Clapton, Ella Fitzgerald, Amy Winehouse and Elvis Presley.
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: Theme Park Music - Haunted House (The Waltz and Minor Keys)
Students will be introduced to music written in the Romantic period where its purpose was to be descriptive, or to communicate a story to the audience. They will dive deeper into the music by Camille Saint-Saens and his piece 'Danse Macabre' (linked to the ride at De Efteling with the same name) to explore his use of minor key, triple metre, waltz rhythm and melodic devices. Students will then compose their own Waltz in a minor key using Musescore 4 to enhance their scorewriting skills and understanding of staff notation. In listening and appraising, students will explore similar haunted house music, particularly Disneyland Paris's Phantom Manor soundtrack
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: Descriptive Theme Park Music (Music Technology 2)
Students will gain an understanding of programme music in the modern commercial world through the study of music written for theme parks and rollercoasters. They will gain an understanding of approaches to harmony, melody, rhythm and instrumentation that composers apply to meet a given brief. They will then apply this knowledge by composing music to POV footage using Logic Pro XI. In listening appraising, students will explore music written for well-known rollercoasters in the UK and Europe, notably Hyperia, Nemesis Inferno, FLY and George & The Dragon.
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.