Resources for learning riffs on guitar (electric or acoustic) and bass guitar.
• Guitar riffs; 5 famous riffs that progress in technical demand and show clear differentiation
• Bass riffs; 6 famous riffs that progress in technical demand and show clear differentiation
• Music mini whiteboards including specific boards for guitar (treble 8 clef, TAB and fretboard diagram) and bass guitar (bass clef, TAB and fretboard diagram)
An Musical Futures-style informal learning topic aimed at Year 9 classes following on from a cover song performance topic. Suitable for Year 8 students in some settings.
This collaborative composition topic follows a three part process of compose-refine-perform to create a 2 section, 3 or 4 chord pop song using vocals, keyboards, guitars, bass guitars and drum kits. Worksheets for each instrument are included, plus a Keynote presentation (available as powerpoint and PDF files) to support learning.
Each worksheet is double-sided. The front page is the final lead sheet for the full composition, whilst the reverse contains differentiated options for chords etc. with the possibility of a mix and match approach for personalised learning. Tic-Tac-Toe activity refers to a free worksheet available from LittleKidsRock.org
Learning Objectives and topic structure:
1. Compose/Practice (lessons 1 & 4)
To know the definition of a chord sequence
To be able to create a chord sequence
To apply a chord sequence across a group of instruments
2. Refine/Rehearse (lessons 2 & 5)
To revise knowledge of chord sequences
To refine the composition process
To maintain own musical role in ensemble playing
3. Perform (lessons 3 & 6)
To demonstrate understanding of chord sequences
To demonstrate technical and creative control of musical elements
To demonstrate stylistic and structural coherence overall
Uses Dyslexie font to support learners with dyslexia.
Activity cards for teaching TAB using 6 clearly differentiated bass riffs. Suitable for Year 7 and Year 8.
3 copies of each riff per A4 page. Print, trim and laminate.
Beginner
1. Another One Bites the Dust - Queen
2. Low Rider - War
Intermediate
3. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
4. Feel Good Inc. - The Gorillaz
Advanced
5. Sunshine of Your Love - Cream
6. Bombtrack - Rage Against the Machine
**Works well with 'KS3 Guitar Riffs Resource'**
Assessment stickers based on the 4-band criteria from Eduqas for all assessment objectives (performing, composing, knowledge & understanding). Links to graded outcomes have not been included deliberately. AO are colour coded to avoid confusion in the similarities of layouts.
• Communicate target grade on each piece of marking
• Communicate student progress through LTEP (Less Than Expected Progress), WTEP (Working Towards...), EP (Expected Progress) and MTEP (More Than...)
• Communicate student 'working at' band descriptor
• Add a written comment with WWW, EBI and a specific target
Stickers are included as A4 landscape, and A6 landscape (4 on an A4 lanscape page).
Activity cards for teaching TAB using 5 clearly differentiated guitar riffs. Suitable for Year 7 and Year 8.
3 copies of each riff per A4 page. Print, trim and laminate.
Beginner
1. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
2. Apache - The Shadows (sampled by The Sugar Hill Gang)
Intermediate
3. Walk This Way - Aerosmith (re-released in collaboration with Run DMC)
4. Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple
Advanced
5. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
**Works well with 'KS3 Bass Riffs Resource'**
Quicktime movies of layered keyboards playing each of the four parts of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells (melody, harmony, chords, bass).
Useful for students to have a visual and aural references on the whiteboard as they are learning notes and rhythms for different parts. I use them as an additional modelling tool displayed on the whiteboard for the majority of students as I support specific individuals. This also supports the 3B4Me (3 Before Me) whole school strategy.
Place the movie file in your Powerpoint/Keynote presentation.
Files are as follows:
• Tubular Bells 2 parts - melody and chords
• Tubular Bells 3 parts - melody, chords and bass
• Tubular Bells 4 parts - melody, harmony, chords and bass
Follow this link for a sample: https://youtu.be/hrSn_radDHA
My students use the song sheet from Musical Context's Year 9 Minimalism unit.
**Suitable for a cover lesson**
UPDATED FOR 2018
Students will need access to computers with the internet, and headphones if desired.
Students log on to the Eurovision channel on YouTube and listen/watch the current year's entries (check with your IT dept the website is not blocked as it streams videos).
Students are encouraged to watch the Host entry, the Big 5 entries (with that concept discussed), plus at least 5 more, and apply the Eurovision judging and scoring system.
At the end of the session the class combine their scores to find out their overall winner (lots of fun mimicking 'Hello , this is so-and-so calling).
Suitable as a cover lesson, as well as an opportunity for students to engage with music outside of the UK and US market.
Files include presentation as Keynote and Powerpoint, student score sheet as editable word doc and PDF.
Structured frameworks to support assessment activities for composition and performance using the 4-band assessment framework provided by Eduqas.
On each framework:
• Identify free composition/composition brief or ensemble/solo/technology performance
• Identify as self/peer/teacher assessment
• Identify target grade
• Log progress as LTEP (Less Than Expected Progress) WTEP (Working Towards ...) EP or MTEP (More Than ...)
• Identify total and subtotal points
• Date
• Full band descriptions
• Tick box for points awarded
• Space at bottom to write a target
Documents are PDFs.
Frameworks are supplied as A4 (1 per A4 sheet), A5 (2 per A4 sheet) and A6 (4 per A4 sheet).
Mini whiteboards for students to use in class: keyboard, guitar, bass guitar, ukulele.
• Grand staff and keyboard layout
• Treble 8 clef, 6-string TAB and guitar fretboard
• Bass clef, 4-string TAB and bass guitar fretboard
• Treble clef, 4-string TAB and ukulele fretboard
Files are PDFs. Suitable for printing up to A3 landscape.
Print on card stock and laminate to use as mini whiteboards.
KS3 lesson resources based around the John Legend's 'All of Me' keyboard sheet from Little Kids Rock in the original key.
• Powerpoint file
• Keynote file
• Keyboard sheet (also available as free download from LKR website)
• Embedded audio files
• Video of chord sequence and bass line on digital keyboard embedded in Keynote presentation, can be added to Powerpoint presentation
Focus for learning is building on prior knowledge of chords in a melody and accompaniment texture, and using a syncopated mento rhythm.
Activity-based introduction for Year 7 students to broken chords, including concepts of: figured bass, intervals, inversions, and voice leading.
Resources include one differentiated worksheets with relevant learning objectives (print on A3 landscape) and supporting presentation file as both Keynote, Powerpoint and PDF files. Further differentiation is included on the presentation. Also included is a movie file demonstrating the broken chord sequence on a digital keyboard.
Students complete the activity on keyboards.
The piece of music is Bach's Praeludium I.
Main font is Dyslexie - a font to support learners with Dyslexia.
Activity-based introduction for Year 7 students to chords, including concepts of: figured bass, intervals, inversions, and voice leading.
Resources include four differentiated worksheets with relevant learning objectives (print on A3 landscape) and supporting presentation file as both Keynote and Powerpoint files.
Students complete the activity on keyboards.
The piece of music used is Ecce Homo by Howard Goodall (the theme to Mr Bean).
Activity cards linked to ABRSM scales and theory to help develop KS3 students' technical literacy with independent learner tasks. Grade 1 is linked to Year 7, Grade 2 to Year 8, Grade 3 to Year 9. Appropriate for key stage 4 in some settings.
The activity cards focus on the use of terminology (eg. tone, semitone and interval) to build knowledge of devices including major, minor and chromatic scales as well as using intervals and arpeggios.
Print and trim to a single keyboard per activity card before laminating.
Useful for whole school development initiatives such as 'stretch and challenge', 'technical literacy', 'extension walls' and 'bell work'.
Student 4-page booklet for Arts Award Bronze Part A used for a film music project.
Firstly, students learned to play famous leitmotifs. Then created an animation of that character in Stykz (free software/shareware) and imported the animation into GarageBand to record in the character's leitmotif. Exported final project file as a movie file and completed the booklet as supporting evidence.
Resources to support assessment and target setting in student exercise books.
Includes:
• Assessment stickers that use summaries of Eduqas assessment rubrics for performing, composing, knowledge and understanding
• Assessment rubrics that use a detailed version of Eduqas assessment rubrics for performing and composing, and are structured to use as self, peer or teacher assessment activities
• Target stickers based on Ofqual descriptions of what grades 8-1 'look' like (please note, Ofqual worded grades 2, 5 and 8). These are intended to provide a reference point for teachers and students for target setting.
Descriptions of GCSE Music Grade 8-1 attributes divided into the categories of performing, composing, knowledge and understanding. Grades 2, 5 and 8 are as worded by Ofqual, therefore they are not specific to an exam board.
These are formatted into A6 landscape stickers for the front of student books, to help focus on musicality in self/peer-assessment and target setting activities . There is also an A4 version, should you wish to create different sized stickers or use at a larger size.
All documents are PDFs.
[EDIT: Files re-uploaded to correct a typing error on Grade 8]
Eduqas GCSE Music Component 2: Free brief
Resource to help students write their own composition brief for the free composition of Component 2. Useful to help students focus on outlining the purpose of their composition, prior to getting on with the composing process.
Exam board requirements included on first page.
Student activity on second page.
PDF and editable word doc included.
Updated to reflect changed set works (2021)
Display items for options evening or classroom display boards communicating the course requirements for Eduqas GCSE Music (first teaching from September 2016). Statements on each item are quotes from Jan Richards’ course book (published by Illuminate).
Files include summaries of:
• Areas of Study 1-4
• All three assessment components (performing-composing-appraising)
• Section headers (What will I study? How will I be assessed? Sample exam question)
• Course header
All files are PDFs. Suitable for A4 or A3 printing.
Student 3-page booklet for Arts Award Bronze Part C used for a film music project.
Students researched John Williams' career as a timeline of achievements and (after completing Part A) then reflected on what they had learned about John Williams on Arts Award paperwork