I am a specialist primary music teacher living and teaching in Devon.
I have 20 years experience of teaching and love creating resources. As well as creating my own resources I have also created resources for companies such as ABRSM. I am also a professional and published composer of Brass band and Concert Band music.
Check out my Youtube page - www.youtube.com/musicwithmrgray
I play trumpet professionally in a ska/reggae/dub band called The Kingstons (www.thekingstons.club).
I am a specialist primary music teacher living and teaching in Devon.
I have 20 years experience of teaching and love creating resources. As well as creating my own resources I have also created resources for companies such as ABRSM. I am also a professional and published composer of Brass band and Concert Band music.
Check out my Youtube page - www.youtube.com/musicwithmrgray
I play trumpet professionally in a ska/reggae/dub band called The Kingstons (www.thekingstons.club).
This resource has been created to help teachers with whole class (wider opportunities/first access) guitar teaching.
It is based on learning guitar via Tablature (TAB) and chord boxes. It begins by teaching children how to read TAB with some simple melodies. Teacher can accompany the class on piano or guitar. The PowerPoint then continues on to teaching children 4 chords (G, C, D & Em), either the short versions (circled) or the full versions.
There is then a large amount of popular rock and pop riffs and well known melodies from AC/DC to Harry Potter and Ed Sheeran to Metallica for the children to learn to play.
I have also attached 10 pages that can be put together to create a booklet for the children to take home.
** Recently updated to include a lot more riffs!**
Enjoy!
I have created Power points covering all of the subject content for the Areas of Study 1 & 2 (AQA Music) including links to music examples.
Hope it's of some help!
I have a created a 'Who wants to be a millionaire&' quiz based on Popular music of the 20th & 21st Century (AQA Music).
Four of the questions are based on audio files so you will need to add your own. The answers are in the &';notes' tab underneath the edit page.
Enjoy
This topic aims to teach children how to use Garage Band on the iPads. It is ideal for KS2 and KS3.
It begins with step-by-step instructions for children to create a simple rock piece of music. Whilst doing this they are learning how to create a new song, add instruments, use pre-set patterns, add drums loops/tracks and play the Garage Band guitar.
The class are then given the opportunity to create their own compositions whilst exploring the other features on Garage Band.
The topic also teaches them how to use the Smart drums, Smart strings, Drums, Sampler, Keyboard and Microphone (audio recorder).
I have written this Topic to help teach children learn to play the Ukulele. It’s a great resource if you’re doing Wider Opps/First Access. I have written a lesson plan that covers 6 weeks but this can easily be stretched out to a whole terms worth of material.
The class will learn up to 6 chords, plenty of fun songs and will also begin to learn how to read and play from Tablature (this is a great skill for those who will continue to learn rock/pop guitar).
The PowerPoint has plenty of recognisable songs, pictures to help with chord positions, a brief history and origin of the Ukulele. It has been UPDATED with plenty of songs and melodies to learn including Star Wars, Pink Panther, Harry Potter etc. You can create a book using the PDF’s.
Enjoy!
This is a short project I did with KS2.
It contains a Powerpoint with all the relevant information about how to write your own song.
You will need to link music to the relevant pictures.
It has music for a class to play 'I Gotta Feeling&' by the Black Eyed Peas.
There is also a very basic lesson plan with it.
This topic explores music of the Far East including the following countries: China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Polynesia, Bali and Java.
Year 5 will also learn about the importance of the pentatonic scale in Chinese music. They will be given the opportunity to learn to play a traditional piece of Chinese music (Jasmine Flower) on tuned percussion and keyboards and will also be set the task of composing their own piece of music using the pentatonic scale.
The class will also be given the opportunity to learn to sing a Filipino & Polynesian song as well as taking part in a classroom Gamelan activity for the last two weeks (they will use classroom tuned percussion to create Gamelan style music).
As well as broadening their musical listening and experiences this topic is also great for linking with geography and history too.
In this topic the children will be given the opportunity to develop their compositional skills by writing music for their own version of the well known musical story Peter and the Wolf as well as helping to create their own musical story.
The children will be able to creatively think about how different instruments/sounds/textures can help to portray a particular character, creature and/or emotion.
The children will be given the task of creating their own story using pictures and writing and then adding a musical score to it.
This topic will also allow the children to continue developing their singing skills by singing the fun song ‘Shake my sillies out’ as well as developing their musical thinking skills by determining which sounds/instruments suit certain scenarios/characters/scenes the best.
This topic is very engaging from start to finish with plenty of activities and original lesson starters, Enjoy!
A PowerPoint containing all of the information for Area of Study 3 (Texture and Melody). The Powerpoint includes links to musical examples. Some of the pictures are linked to music on my own laptop so will not work on yours! You'll need to upload your own example (mp3)
This is from my Music of the Far East topic.
It's a piece of Gamelan style music that can be played using classroom percussion (Tuned and un-tuned). It's colour coded to help children play the piece with relative ease.
I've attached a WAV file of the the piece.
Enjoy!
Here are a selection of pieces for rock and pop bands. They includes parts for Guitar (riff and chords), Bass Guitar, Drums, Keyboard/Piano and Vocals (lyrics).
Some of the keys have been changed to suit children’s voices/make them easier to play (child friendly keys)
Enjoy :)
This is a 6 week topic aimed at KS1 and KS2 to teach them about different music traditions from around the world.
Throughout this topic, pupils will be given the opportunity to explore music from different countries and cultures around the globe, including: West Africa, Australia, Poland, Ireland, Jamaica and Native America.
Each week will focus on a different country. The focus of each lesson will be to learn where the country is on the map, listen to an example of traditional music from that that country and learn a song/game/dance that is culturally relevant.
Pupils will be given the opportunity to develop their listening and singing skills (Links to curriculum can be found at the bottom).
By the end of the topic pupils should have a better understanding of different styles and genres of music and where they came from as well as developing their understanding of the role of music in different cultures and societies.
Perfect for linking to Geogrpahy and History!
Links to curriculum/Possible assessment opportunities:
Use the voice expressively and creatively by singing songs and speaking chants and rhymes
Play tuned and untuned instruments musically
Listen with concentration and understanding to a range of high-quality live and recorded music
Experiment with, create, select and combine sounds using the inter-related dimensions of music
Please note: I have used the Font AR CHRISTY so it may look different when downloaded!
A Video Game Music topic perfect for KS2 (and KS3!)
This topic gives students the opportunity to:
Learn about the history of video game music
Learn how sounds and music were created during the 80’s (Chiptune music)
Listen to a variety of different styles of music used in video games throughout time
Create their own video game music using Beepbox (free online software)
Create their own pixel characters and scenes using Make 8-bit art (free online software)
This resource does not come with a lesson plan but notes are included on each slide (in Powerpoint) with a suggested week to week learning sequence.
Get the class to play the riff from Ed Sheeran’s - Shape of you!
Music for:
Piano/Tuned percussion
Guitar
Bass guitar
Ukulele
Boomwhackers
Have fun :)
NOT in the original key
This is a selection of well known riffs for percussion. They all use the notes in on octave of the C Major Scale, so perfect for classroom percussion.
Each riff comes with a coloured version to be used with coloured Boom Whackers and Chimes.
Faded - Alan Walker
Dance Monkey - Tones and I
Shape of you - Ed Sheeran
Seven nation army - The white stripes
Eye of the tiger - Survivor
This is a collection of all 80 Active listening songs
Included is:
10 Cup songs
10 Shaker songs
10 Parachute songs
10 Scarf songs
10 Rhythm stick songs
10 Miscellaneous songs
10 Passing songs
10 Body percussion songs
Every song is designed to reinforce pitch, pulse and rhythm (either consciously or unconsciously) and will help with a range of social skills (turn taking, working with a partner or group etc).
The songs are all in an appropriate range for children. Most use a maximum of a 6-note range with some stretching to an octave. All songs are in C Major but can easily be transposed to D. Each song comes with easy to follow instructions.
They can be used with KS1 and KS2 and have all been tried and tested by the children I teach and have all been received well and enjoyed!
These songs have also been designed to fit perfectly within the Kodaly methodology if teachers are using it (using common ta and ti-ti rhythms and incorporating familiar melody lines - so-mi / mi-so-la).
All songs come with recordings and scores.
This is a simple Orff style arrangement of the Chinese folk song Ai Hai Yo.
It includes:
Melody
Harmony
Bass
Triangle
Hand drum / Wood block
Piano
Lyrics
Ideal for use when exploring the pentatonic scale and/or Asian/Chinese music.
20 pieces for Whole Class Brass Tuition in a variety of different styles.
These pieces progress steadily and give children the chance to play a relatively large repertoire without using too many notes. The music covers the notes B, C, D, E, F and G and is enough for a years worth of tuition!
This resource includes the sheet music (PDF) and play along/backing tracks for pieces 11-20. Pieces 11-20 cover the notes B, C, D, E, F and G.
You can purchase pieces 1-10 here - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12673118