A simple trumpet/cornet/flugel horn valve chart for beginners to advanced players.

Rhyhtm Builder activity This is an activity designed for KS3 but could also be used for students in KS2 and at GCSE level. Simply print off the templates and cut out the rhythms to give students an easy way to compose rhythms in 2,3,4 and 5 time. The rhythm shapes are set so students should be able to compose accurate rhythms simply by making sure each line is filled with out any overlapping of the shapes. Great for getting students composing rhythms.

This is a GCSE Music Composition Annotation Help Sheet for students who compose in non-standard notation. Most exam boards require annotations for composition work when there isn’t a traditional score.

Here is a simple set of display posters detailing the basic elements of Music

These are Music Tech FX Bingo cards complete with audio recordings. There are 15 unique bingo cards (1 per page in a PDF document). Each bingo card has 12 music technology FX terms on it and the pack comes with 12 audio recordings of the FX featured on the cards. The audio recordings are of a live trumpet. This is a great activity for KS4 and KS5 classes and work particularity well when teaching students about music technology. Initially developed for use with GCSE Music classes but also handy for Music & Music Tech students at KS5. Use as as a starter or plenary activity or even as a starting point for a whole lesson. Simply print off the bingo cards, hand out to students (I get students to work in pairs), select the audio files at random and let the students work out which FX they are hearing. You can make the task easier by playing the ‘clean’ version of the audio first as a baseline. Make your own rules for bingo or have students come up with their own. Simply laminate them to use them time and time again. Any feedback would be greatly received. Let me know how you got on with it and I welcome any suggestions for improvements.

These are 5 worksheet activities for Key Stage 3 classes. Designed to be used by a non specialist teacher or supply teacher. Please see the preview for the worksheets.

This works really well as a group activity at GCSE level but can also be done as an individual activity. The activity involves getting students into groups of 3 or 4 and then they select a series of set criteria for their composition from the pack at random. The criteria are things such as ‘your piece must start with a crescendo’ or ’ you must use the blues scale’. It is a great activity for helping students learn or reinforce key words for GCSE Music. If someone in the group doesn’t know what one of the key words are, other students can normally help them. I often have music dictionaries available for students who aren’t quite sure what some of the key words are to encourage them to research them before asking me. Print off this document (each page on different colour can be good). Cut up each statement on pages 2 - 6 and place in a pile with the other statements from that page. Students select 1 statement (can be at random) from each pile and they then need to compose a piece based on the statements that they have selected Students then perform their composition to the class and the other students have to guess which of the key words (on the last page) they have used in their composition. I normally give all students a copy of the last page to tick off the key words that they have heard.

This is instrument bingo for class music lessons. There are 16 individual bingo cards (PDF) with 16 recordings of different instruments to play the game. Simply print off the bingo cards, select the tracks at random and let students try to work out which instrument they are hearing.

Here are 20 melodic and 20 rhythmic dictation questions complete with audio. Designed to help students with the dictation parts of the GCSE Music exams. The questions progress in difficulty and come in a range of keys, tempos and timbres. Answers are included.

A resource I use with GCSE/A Level Music students. I find this particularly useful when teaching composition.