This slide can be used as a Do Now, as a Checking for understanding/ AfL check or as homework. Each slide has a question/ answers and you can use this resource in your classroom to ensure students grasp how to play and build chords and understand the concepts of major and minor. I use this in year 8 during the blues and the 4 chord song unit when harmony is the focus of learning.

Lesson 4: Reading Tab Students are introduced to tab as a form of notation and discuss how to read it and what might make reading tab challenging/ easy. Students have access to youtube videos/ paper resources and they practice a piece of music in pairs. Links to an independent youtube channel which I have no links to, they can be swapped out for other youtube videos if you have a preference. Task: Work in pairs to master a song, reading tab music and playing effectively as a small ensemble.

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Ukulele Students recall the chords that they have learnt, as a class / independently. Students learn about strumming patterns and how to apply them to compose interesting rhythms. Task: Compose a strumming pattern to play over the 4 chords they have learnt This could be scaffolded to be simple rhythms and 1 chord per bar to more complex strumming patterns and mid bar chord changes.

Lesson 2: Pop Chord Progression I V VI IV Students are recall key parts of the instrument and recall the 3 chords they learnt last lesson. This can be done as a class or paired. Recall is a great performance opportunity too. Students learn a new chord, G major to add to the 3 chords, (C, Am and F). You could model these as a whole class/ perform as a whole class or in smaller groups depending on the learning environment. Task: Learn a chord progression using 4 chords, working towards an class performance.

Lesson 6: Applying harmony on the keyboards Students demonstrate their understanding of harmony on the keyboards, learning a golden rule, play 1 miss 1 x3 and developing their keyboard skills further. Task: Apply harmony on the keyboard, learning a simple melody and applying chords that they have learnt in pairs/ with two hands.

Lesson 5: Performances Students demonstrate their understanding of the ukulele, chord charts/ tab by performing the song that they have been learning in pairs. They also focus on feedback, providing meaningful and relevant feedback for the performances. Task: Recall and master a song on ukulele, performing it to the class.

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Ukulele Students are introduced to the instrument, as a class model how to hold, strum and fret a chord to ensure a whole class understanding. Students learn 3 chords, C, Am and F. You could model these as a whole class/ perform as a whole class or in smaller groups depending on the learning environment. Task: Learn a chord progression using 3 chords, working towards an class performance.

Lesson 6 - Performing and feedback Students perform their compositions and provide feedback on what they hear. Using keywords such as fluency, accuracy, timing and development. Students reflect on their composition. Lesson 7 is also included, I often introduce the keyboards in a 7 week term and use simple 5 finger songs to engage students.

Lesson 5 - Applying the elements of music Students continue to apply the elements of music with intent and compose a piece of music that reflects the size, nature or movement of an animal.

Lesson 4 of 6 In this lesson, students use their understanding of the elements of music that they have studied so far to compose a short rhythmic piece of music that describes the size, nature or movement of an animal of their choice. They listen and appraise pieces from the Carnival of the Animals and discuss how the composer has described certain aspects of the animal so that they gain some ideas to apply to their own compositions. They then work in groups and begin to compose a short piece.

Lesson 1 of 6 of a drumming unit. This unit makes use of Djembe drums and develops students understanding of rhythm, dynamics, structure and ensemble skills. Lesson 1 introduces/ revisits note values and durations. Students work towards performing three rhythms together, either in unison or as a 3 part polyrhythm.

Year 7 Drumming Lesson 3 of 6 In lesson 3, students develop their ensemble skills and understanding of the elements of music by revisiting their work from lesson 1 and 2, where they composed a section A with a call and response, and develop it by applying dynamics to either a section they already have, or by composing a section B with contrasting dynamics. Hearing the dynamic changes and talking about how it impacts the listener will encourage students to analyse their compositions and provide feedback to others.

Year 7 Drumming Unit: Lesson 2 of 6 In this lesson, students explore the importance of time signatures and counting beats as they play as an ensemble. The independent task allows students to explore the purpose of Call and Response, composing a short call a response ostinato that starts and ends the rhythm that they composed in lesson 1. Challenge students by encouraging them to compose a B section, developing their understanding of form.

The Blues Lesson 2 - Walking Bass Students will continue to develop their understanding of the blues by listening for the walking bass line in blues songs. Identifying when the 5th chord happens is an easy engaging task for them. Students improve their keyboard skills by learning a simple walking bass line, understanding that walking bass lines use the chord tones. Simple version and challenge version is on this lesson. At this point, I introduce the concept of degrees of a scale to students so they know that they’re using I III and V as a basic walking bass pattern. Levels of challenge include adding a 7th into the walking bass to make it more interesting, this is included in the lesson. Students should be encouraged to play two handed where possible, taking everything slowly and focusing on the skill, not the amount of bars mastered. This lesson is 2 of 6 of a complete unit.

The final lesson of the unit is designed for students to finalise their compositions on the DAW. They should have a minimum of the walking bass and chord progression finished which is realistic for the majority of students. This lesson explores the drums and it could be a talking point to talk about swing rhythms as students compose their own drumming pattern using the drum machines on the drums and then they should be encouraged to consider composing a short riff/ using loops creatively to create a riff. This lesson is not a performance based lesson, nor is lesson 4 or 5 in this unit.

The Blues Lesson 4 - DAW This unit of the blues introduces/ uses a DAW (I use SoundTrap and it includes SoundTrap terms/ short cuts/ screenshots, but these can be changed to suit your needs). This is not a “performance” lesson however, you could adapt lessons 1, 2 and 3 if you were looking for a performance based unit. The purpose of the next three lessons in the unit is to strengthen their understanding of the DAW and reinforce the teaching in lesson 1 2 and 3. They’ll be inputting the chord progression accurately through midi recording / pencil function in lesson 4 and the walking bass line in lesson 5, using lesson 6 to add a drum pattern, use loops creatively for riffs/ compose their own riff. This promotes composing in a certain style of music and my students enjoy using the DAW to compose music. This is lesson 4/6 of the unit

The Blues Lesson 3 - Putting it together. This lesson is designed to provide students time to develop their keyboard skills and challenge themselves to play the keyboard with both hands. They tasks recap the 12 bar blues and the walking bass pattern before encouraging students to put them together to see how they sound together. There are multiple levels of challenge, from splitting the parts up in pairs, basic root notes in the left hand, simple bass pattern and the advanced blues pattern as well as swinging rhythms and improvising their own bass lines. This lesson is 3 of 6 of the unit.

The Blues Lesson 5 - Inputting the walking bass. Like lesson 4, this is a DAW based lesson, not a performance based lesson. Students are revisiting a DAW and developing their skills by inputting the learning from lessons 1 2 and 3. This develops their understanding of the DAW but also reinforces their understanding of the Walking Bass. Students should be encouraged to aim high and use the advanced walking bass line where possible.

Lesson 1 - Introduction to the 12 bar blues chord progressions. Performance: Year 8’s would know how to build a chord but they spend time recapping the skill and practice transitioning from C, to F, to G and ensure they’re playing accurately and fluently. Students are then introduced to the chord progression found in Blues. There is emphasis on the correct technique, using fingers 1, 2 and 4 to play chords. Levels of challenge can be applied, from just holding the chords, adding a simple straight rhythm, applying a swung rhythm, applying left hand root notes, applying the root note + the fifth and alternating to the root + 6th. Listening: Videos of songs with blues features are provided, questions are not. They could be identify the elements of music, Identify key features of the blues etc. Lesson 1 of 6, suitable for year 8 and 9 and very adaptable for your schools needs.

Lesson 6 - Keyboard Skills. Students demonstrate their understanding of the keyboard and the skills that were taught during the unit and perform/ record their piano piece. There is a composition challenge task for students to do after their performance / assessment (depending on teaching approach). I ask students to record their work onto a DAW, they have 15 minutes to get a perfect take recorded and then we try the composition challenge before listening to all the performances/ recordings to provide feedback. The composition challenge can be adapted to be a stand alone lesson for those terms that are 7 + weeks long too.