The Elements

This is a 6 week topic that aims to teach the main elements of music: Pitch, Tempo, Timbre, Dynamic, Duration, Texture and Rhythm. This is done through listening to music (from Queen to Beethoven), composing songs, moving to sounds and music and creating music compositions using tuned and untuned instruments.

Every lesson will focus on an element and explore its importance in music. Tuned and untuned percussion will be used in every lesson to help with this. The children will be given opportunities to improvise and create their own music and sounds.

Standard notation will be used to help children develop an understanding of music/rhythm reading.

Songs/chants will also be sung to accompany the lessons, developing their singing voices every week. An opportunity for the children to write their own class song will also be used to develop their singing and compositional skills.

As well as plenty of compositional and improvisation opportunities, lessons are also inspired by Kodaly/Dalcroze/Orff ideas and methods, allowing children to explore music through sound and movement.

Links to curriculum/Possible assessment opportunities:

1. Use the voice expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
2. Play tuned and untuned instruments musically
3. Listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
4. Experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music

Please note: I have used the font AR CHRISTY for a lot of the slides so it may look slightly different!