GCSE Music DYNAMICS and ARTICULATION

This topic focuses on Articulation, which includes volume dynamics. Specific content is as follows: Piano/ Pianissimo/ Mezzo Piano; Forte/ Fortissimo/ Mezzo Forte; Pianoforte/ Fortepiano/ Diminuendo/ Crescendo; Accent/ Marcato/ Sforzando; Portato/ Staccato/ Staccatissimo; Legato/ Tenuto; Rim shot. Students are taken through the information with both an information sheet, and a step-by-step PowerPoint. 4 x written/ notation tasks develop students’ ability to recognise the symbols and abbreviations and to be able to use and interpret them on a score. 10 x listening questions conclude the lesson, in which students’ ability to determine appropriate volume dynamics and changes, and articulation changes can be developed. These listening activities will also develop students’ musical memories – a vital skill for the listening exam. By the end of the lesson students will have a secure knowledge of the topic, and you – the teacher – have more than enough activities to allocate a homework task should you wish to.

All of this comes with a 30-slide animated and beautifully-presented PowerPoint, annotated with detailed teaching guidance notes, to make delivery of the topic smooth and efficient – plus a 4-page student information sheet, 4-page activity sheet, and 4-page detailed answer sheet. With regards to the listening questions, MP3s are provided (and they are always my own compositions), and you may well want to insert the audios into the slide rather than use media player.

I take great pride in my resources, and the time and effort I put into them is immediately clear. I am confident that you will find this topic to be fully and comprehensively resourced in order to meet both your needs and the needs of your students… and it will save you (literally) hours of planning, too. I welcome any questions and feedback, and I can be contacted at rainynightmusic@hotmail.com. Thank you for considering my resources for your classroom.