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
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)
Musical analysis of five songs from Kurt Weill’s musical theatre shows:
The Threepenny Opera: Mack the Knife
The Threepenny Opera: Pirate Jenny
The Threepenny Opera: Jealousy Duet
The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny: Alabama Song
The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny: Havana Song
The songs are given their context within each show, together with an in-depth musical analysis under each element of music.
14 pages long - enough material for five lessons (1 song per lesson)
Suitable for any study of musical theatre, particularly AQA A Level Music AoS4
A detailed analysis of all of the music numbers in “The Marriage of Figaro” Act I set for AQA A Level Music (i.e. all except No. 2 duet and No. 8 chorus), together with an introduction, synopsis, and three quizzes with answers provided. Each number is analysed over several pages by section and by elements of music (over 40 pages in total). Ideal for teaching AQA A Level Music AoS1 or as wider listening for other A Level Music courses.
Including the full score in pdf and editable Sibelius formats.
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)
A complete carol from '50 Christmas Carols', edited by Chris Gill. Arranged for four parts (SATB) on two staves, with chord symbols above, and lyrics for all of the verses printed in between the staves. The complete edition of '50 Christmas Carols' is available as a pdf and Sibelius file from TES resources, or as a paperback from Amazon.
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 learn about the evolution of African-American styles in the 1950s and 1960s
• To listen to examples of spirituals, gospel, rhythm and blues, and soul
• To consolidate previous knowledge of major and minor chords
• To learn how to play seventh chords
• To sing songs from these styles, both in class and individually
• To arrange and perform these styles as a group
Lesson Overview
1. Two Spirituals
2. Gospel Music
3. Rhythm ‘n’ Blues
4. The Birth of Soul
5. Respect
6. Stand By Me
7. Group arrangement*
8. Group performance*
* The group arrangement/performance forms an optional extension task
Subject-specific vocabulary
• Primary triads – I, IV, V
• Triads – C, F, G, Am, D, E
• Seventh chords
• Call-and-response
• Ornamentation
• Improvisation
Assessments
• Performing – chord sequences for various songs on keyboard (Lessons 1, 5, 6)
• Listening – ‘The Birth of Soul’ (Lesson 4)
• Composing (arranging) – chosen song in a small ensemble (Lessons 7-8)
Over 30 lessons grouped in five topics: Dance Music, Minimalism, Latin Music, Romantic Music and Gospel, Blues, and Soul.
Plenty of performing, composing and listening activities for the whole class, and full lesson plans and assessment sheets for the teacher.
A complete carol from '50 Christmas Carols', edited by Chris Gill. Arranged for four parts (SATB) on two staves, with chord symbols above, and lyrics for all of the verses printed in between the staves. The complete edition of '50 Christmas Carols' is available as a pdf and Sibelius file from TES resources, or as a paperback from Amazon.
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
A complete carol from '50 Christmas Carols', edited by Chris Gill. Arranged for four parts (SATB) on two staves, with chord symbols above, and lyrics for all of the verses printed in between the staves. The complete edition of '50 Christmas Carols' is available as a pdf and Sibelius file from TES resources, or as a paperback from Amazon.
A step-by-step self-guided process for GCSE students to compose a song in any style. Typically lasts for 5-10 hours. Four-page worksheet with lyric ideas (both in .doc and .pdf format) plus example song in .sib format.
A complete carol from '50 Christmas Carols', edited by Chris Gill. Arranged for four parts (SATB) on two staves, with chord symbols above, and lyrics for all of the verses printed in between the staves. The complete edition of '50 Christmas Carols' is available as a pdf and Sibelius file from TES resources, or as a paperback from Amazon.
A complete carol from '50 Christmas Carols', edited by Chris Gill.
Arranged for four parts (SATB) on two staves, with chord symbols above, and lyrics for all of the verses printed in between the staves.
The complete edition of '50 Christmas Carols' is available as a pdf and Sibelius file from TES resources, or as a paperback from Amazon.