Rock ‘n’ Roll
KS3 Scheme of Work – 6 lessons
Objectives
• To learn about the origins of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s
• To sing and play several rock ‘n’ roll and rock songs
• To recognise some typical instruments – keyboard, drums and double bass – and their functions
• To play the chords of C, F, G and Am on the keyboard
• To perform the 12-bar blues and I-vi-IV-V chord progressions on the keyboard
• To arrange a rock ‘n’ roll song for a group performance
Lesson Overview
1. The Origins of Rock ‘n’ Roll
2. The 12-Bar Blues
3. The Bass Line
4. The I-vi-IV-V Progression
5. Preparing Group Arrangement
6. Group Performances and Listening Exercise
Subject-specific vocabulary
• Performers: Bill Haley and the Comets, Elvis Presley
• Instruments: double bass, drum kit, keyboard
• Chords: C, F, G, Am
• 12-bar blues and I-vi-IV-V chord progressions
Assessments
• Performing (keyboard) – 12-bar blues
• Composing – group arrangement of a Rock ‘n’ Roll song
• Listening – Hound Dog
This topic can be followed up with the topic on The Beatles, which introduces more secondary triads and more complex song structures, reflecting the development of rock music in the 1960s.
KS3 Scheme of Work – 6 lessons
Objectives
• To understand how to form primary and secondary triads in C major on the keyboard
• To learn, through listening and performing, common chord sequences using these triads
• To arrange a Beatles song for a group performance
Lesson Overview
1. Love Me Do
2. Eleanor Rigby
3. Let it Be
4. Can’t Buy Me Love
5. Arranging a Beatles song
6. Performing a Beatles song
Subject-specific vocabulary
• Tonality: major and minor
• Chords: C, F, G, Dm, Em, Am
• Chord sequences: I-V-vi-IV, circle progression
• Timbres and textures: electric guitar, bass guitar, drum kit
Assessments
• Performing (keyboard) – ‘Love Me Do’ (Lesson 1)
• Listening – ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ (Lesson 3)
• Composing – arrangement of a Beatles song for group performance (Lesson 6)
KS3 Scheme of Work – 6 lessons
Objectives
• To listen to different styles of jazz and its influences: Blues, Ragtime, New Orleans Jazz, Swing Era big bands, Bebop, latin jazz, and rock fusion
• To sing songs a spiritual and blues song in the jazz style, both in class and individually
• To develop improvising skills using a variety of scales and note patterns (rhythm only, pentatonic minor scale, five notes (C-G), blues scale, chord notes) on given tunes and chord sequences
Lesson outline
• Lesson 1 – Blues and Ragtime
• Lesson 2 – New Orleans Jazz
• Lesson 3 – The Swing Era
• Lesson 4 – Later Jazz Styles
• Lesson 5 – When the Saints go Marching In
• Lesson 6 – Improvising Assessment
Subject-specific vocabulary
• Instruments – piano, drum kit, double bass, trumpet, cornet, clarinet, trombone, saxophone, banjo
• Blues notes – where some notes have a slightly lower pitch
• Call-and-response – where the lead singer’s phrases are echoed by other singers or instruments
• Major scale – an ordinary seven-note scale in a major key
• Oom-pah accompaniment – a backing pattern where bass notes alternate with chords, all on the beat
• Syncopated – where the offbeat notes are accented
• Swing – where the beat is divided unequally into a long note and a short note
• Rhythm section keeps the beat and accompanies with bass line and chords
• Frontline instruments play the original melody (head) and improvise
• Improvise - make up the music as you go along
• Head – the original, composed melody of a particular song
• Scat singing
• Walking bass
• ‘Ten-to-ten’ rhythm – repeated crotchet and two swung quavers on ride cymbal
Assessments
• Performing: playing ‘In the Mood’ on the keyboard (Lesson 3)
• Listening: listening exercise on ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ (Lesson 5)
• Composing: improvising on ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ (Lesson 6)
KS3 Scheme of Work (6-8 lessons) including 10 pages of teacher's notes and 14 pupils' worksheets
Objectives
• To become familiar with music for different films and to recognise film genres
• To learn how some musical features can be combined to create soundtracks for different film genres
• To perform a film music theme on the keyboard, and to adapt it to compose for a film clip
Overview
• Lesson 1: Film and Genre
• Lesson 2: Musical Ideas for Film Genres
• Lesson 3*: Orchestral Film Music
• Lesson 4: Listening to the James Bond Theme
• Lesson 5: Practising the James Bond Theme
• Lesson 6: Performing the James Bond Theme
• Lesson 7*: Composing film music
• Lesson 8*: Final evaluation of composition
• Cover lesson/homework worksheets:
o Sound effects for film
o Creative sound effects
o A Century of Film Music (2 pages)
* Lessons 3, 7 and 8 are self-contained lessons which can be omitted for a shorter scheme of work
Subject-specific vocabulary
• Film genres: thriller, romance, cartoon, comedy, sci-fi, western
• Musical features: cluster chords, ‘oom-pah’ accompaniment, atonal, major, minor, chromatic
• Timbres: synthesiser, strings, brass
Assessments
• Performing (keyboard) – The James Bond Theme
• Listening – Film Genres, James Bond Theme with score and in context of a film
• Composing – Goldfinger pre-credits sequence
Baroque Music
KS3 scheme of work – 6-8 lessons
Objectives
• To listen to music from the Baroque Era (1600-1750) in a variety of genres by several composers
• To perform part of Pachelbel’s Canon on the keyboard
• To compose a melody above the ground bass of Pachelbel’s Canon
Lesson overview
• Lesson 1: Pachelbel’s Canon
• Lesson 2: Scarlatti’s Sonata
• Lesson 3: Bach’s Toccata and Fugue
• Lesson 4: Handel’s Messiah
• Lesson 5: Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas
• Lesson 6: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
• Lesson 7/8: Group composition and performance
N.B. The last two lessons are optional and can be completed in one lesson if necessary.
Vocabulary
• Genres
o Sonata – piece for solo instrument(s) in several movements
o Oratorio - religious story in several movements with singers and orchestra (not staged)
o Opera - non-religious story in several movements with singers and orchestra (staged)
o Concerto – piece for soloist(s) and orchestra in several movements
• Movements within vocal works
o Chorus – where the choir sings
o Aria – a solo song
o Recitative – a style of story-telling, halfway between normal speech and singing
o Overture – a scene-setting piece for the orchestra (without singing)
• Ground bass (ostinato)
• Bass clef and bass stave notation
• Instruments:
o Bowed string family (violin, viola, cello, double bass)
o Keyboard instruments (harpsichord and organ)
Assessment
• Performing: part of Pachelbel’s Canon on the keyboard
• Composing: a melody above the ground bass of Pachelbel’s Canon
• Listening: short exercises on different genres of Baroque music
KS3 Scheme of Work – 6 lessons
Objectives
• To recognise and be able to perform offbeat and syncopated rhythms in calypso and reggae music
• To participate in a class performance of a calypso song using the steel pans
• To arrange own part in a reggae song for small ensemble performance
• To revise formation of chords made up of white notes (C, G)
• To learn formation of chords with a black note in the middle (D, E, A)
Lesson Overview
• Lesson 1: Calypso
• Lesson 2: Yellow Bird
• Lesson 3: offbeat
• Lesson 4: Riffs
• Lesson 5: Three Little Birds
• Lesson 6: Music of the Caribbean
Subject-specific vocabulary
• Instruments: steel pans, bass guitar, electric guitar, drums
• Rhythm: syncopation, offbeat
• Styles of music: calypso, reggae, soca, merengue
Assessments
• Performing (singing and steel pans) – ‘Yellow Bird’ (calypso)
• Arranging within a small ensemble – ‘Three Little Birds’ (reggae)
• Listening – Caribbean styles (calypso, reggae, soca, merengue)
African Music
KS3 scheme of work
N.B. This is designed as a modular scheme of work with self-contained lessons linked by recurring themes. It works well in a short half of term and/or one interrupted by trips, exams, etc. Lessons 3 and 4 work best when taught consecutively.
Objectives
• Performing: to sing traditional African songs and to play African percussion
• Composing: to create a layered, syncopated rhythmic ostinato within a group performance
• Listening: to learn about, and to recognise, African musical styles and instruments
Lesson overview
• Lesson 1: Wimmoweh
• Lesson 2: African instruments
• Lesson 3: African rhythms
• Lesson 4: Group composition
• Lesson 5: Singing African Songs
• Lesson 6: Listening to African Music
• Research assignment (cover lesson/homework – no listening required)
Vocabulary
• African instruments:
o CABASA large gourd with a handle covered with a network of stringed beads
o KORA a harp with 21 strings, resounding in half a large gourd, covered with skin
o TALKING DRUM A drum with two heads which are kept taut by strings
o MARIMBA A set of wooden bars arranged in a row over a set of resonating gourds
o DJEMBE A large single-headed drum
o THUMB-PIANO A wooden board with thin metal strips attached to it
• Polyrhythm and cross rhythm
• Call-and-response
• Ostinato
• Layering
• A capella
• Close and parallel harmony
Assessment
• Performing: singing an African song (Lesson 5)
• Composing: creating a rhythmic ostinato as part of a group composition/performance (Lessons 3 and 4)
• Listening: ‘Listening to African Music’ (Lesson 6)
KS3 Scheme of Work (6 lessons)
Objectives
• To perform a samba rhythm on unpitched percussion
• To perform the tango ‘Por Una Cabeza’ on unpitched percussion or keyboards (rhythm only, bass line or chords, depending on ability)
• To listen to a variety of sambas and tango
• To compose a tango using a descending bass line with a ‘habanera’ rhythm, chords and melody
Lesson overview
• Lesson 1 – Listening to Samba
• Lesson 2 – Performing a Samba
• Lesson 3 – Listening to Tangos
• Lesson 4 – Performing a Tango
• Lesson 5 – Composing a Tango: chords and bass line
• Lesson 6 – Composing a Tango: melody
Subject-specific vocabulary
• Samba instruments:
o Tamborim
o Caixa de Guerra (‘War Box’)
o Cuíca
o Repinique
o Chocalho
o Surdo (bass drum)
• Tango instruments: bandoneón, violin, piano and bass
• Habañera (dotted) rhythm
• First inversion chords
• Descending bass line
• Perfect cadence
Assessments
• Listening: Listening to Samba (Lesson 1)
• Performing: Samba band (Lesson 2, self-assessment) and ‘Por Una Cabeza’ (Lesson 4)
• Composing: Tango (Lesson 6)
KS3 Scheme of Work – 6-8 lessons
Objectives
• To listen to music, particularly waltzes, in different genres by composers from the Romantic era (1830-1900)
• To perform the accompaniment for a waltz on the keyboard
• To compose a 16-bar waltz for piano, fitting the melody to chosen four-bar chord sequences
Lesson Overview
• Lesson 1: Romantic Music
• Lesson 2: Oom-pah-pah
• Lesson 3: A piano waltz
• Lesson 4: An orchestral waltz
• Lesson 5: An operatic waltz
• Lesson 6: Listening to Programme Music
• Lessons 7/8: Composing Programme Music
Subject-specific vocabulary
• Instruments of the symphony orchestra: violins, viola, ‘cello, double bass, harp, piccolo, flute, oboe, cor anglais, clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion
• Romantic Composers: Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Johann Strauss jr, Grieg, Schubert, Berlioz, Wagner, Verdi
• Musical Genres: piano music, orchestral music, ballet, opera
Assessments
• Listening – Romantic Music (Lesson 1)
• Performing (keyboard) – ‘Oom-pah-pah’ accompaniment (Lesson 2)
• Composing – 16-bar waltz (Lessons 3-6)
Scheme of Work (6-8 lessons)
Objectives
• To learn about different genres, composers, instruments and musical forms from the Classical Era (1750-1820),
• To apply this knowledge when listening to an unfamiliar piece
• To sing both a song and an opera aria from the Classical Era
• To understand how both accompanying patterns and melodies can be created from notes in the underlying chords (using the major triads G, D, A, C and F)
• As a result, to be able to play both an accompanying (‘oom-cha’) pattern and a melody (for a minuet) on the keyboard
• To compose one or two 8-bar section(s) of music, using chords and melody, which can be used as another section of a minuet in either ternary or Rondo form
Lesson Overview
• Lesson 1: Schubert’s ‘The Trout’ and Strophic Form
• Lesson 2: Gluck’s ‘What is life’ and Rondo form
• Lesson 3: Consolidation of Classical Vocal music
• Lesson 4: Haydn’s ‘Emperor Quartet’ and Variation form
• Lesson 5: Mozart’s Minuet and Ternary Form
• Lesson 6: Consolidation of musical forms
• Lesson 7: Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Sonata Form*
• Lesson 8: Conclusion*
* Optional lessons which may be omitted for a six-lesson scheme of work
Subject-specific vocabulary
• Composers: Schubert, Gluck, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven
• Genres: song, opera, aria, symphony, minuet
• Voices, instruments and their groupings: soprano, alto, piano, string quartet, orchestra
• Forms: strophic, rondo, ternary, theme and variations, sonata form
Assessments
• Performing (singing) – Schubert’s ‘The Trout’ or Gluck’s ‘What is life’
• Performing (keyboard) – adaptations of accompaniment to ‘The Trout’ or Mozart’s Minuet
• Composing – additional 8-bar section(s) for Mozart’s Minuet
• Listening – exercise on unfamiliar piece in last lesson
Over 30 pages of extensive notes about the three set works in Edexcel A Level Music Area of Study 1 - Vocal Music:
J. S. Bach, Cantata, Ein feste Burg, BWV 80: Movements 1, 2, 8
Mozart, The Magic Flute: Excerpts from Act I: No. 4 (Queen of the Night) and No. 5 (Quintet)
Vaughan Williams: On Wenlock Edge, No. 1 ‘On Wenlock Edge’, No. 3 ‘Is My Team Ploughing’ and No. 5 ‘Bredon Hill’
All ten songs from the three Set Works in the Popular Music and Jazz Area of Study (Edexcel/Pearson A Level Music):
Kate Bush, Hounds of Love (3 songs)
Beatles, Revolver (4 songs)
Courtney Pine, Back in the Day (3 songs)
Listening/analysis notes for all 10 songs in this Area of Study
Extensive notes for all three set works in Area of Study 3 - Music for Film:
Bernard Hermann - Psycho
Rachel Portman - The Duchess
Danny Elfman - Batman Returns
Summary notes for all three set works in this area of study:
Debussy - Estampes Nos. 1 and 2
Familia Valera Miranda - two songs from Caña Quema
Anoushka Shankar - three songs from Breathing Under Water
Analytical notes on the three set works in Edexcel A Level Music’s Area of Study 2 (Instrumental Music):
Vivaldi - Concerto in D minor, Op. 3 No. 11
Clara Schumann - Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 17 (first movement)
Berlioz - Symphonie fantastique (first movement)
Bach - Violin Concerto in A minor BWV 1014
10 pages of analysis and questions
complete score in odf format (all three movements)
complete score in Sibelius format (all three movements)