Author: Martin

Music – First Level: Composing with Body Percussion (Sequence of 3 Lessons)

Learners will watch and listen to recorded body percussion performances before composing their own pieces.

Learners will have opportunities to:

  • engage with a stimulus and share their ideas
  • think about the elements that make music
  • participate in an improvisation activity to explore sound using body percussion
  • explore how the body can be used to make sounds and music
  • work collaboratively with others to combine a series of body percussion actions to create a sixteen beat pattern on a composition grid
  • perform their compositions both unaccompanied and as an accompaniment to a recorded piece of music
  • develop and extend their compositions, whilst also learning about musical form
  • orchestrate their body percussion pieces, using percussion instruments.

First Level: Composing with Body Percussion
(PDF Download)

Experiences and Outcomes:

  • I can sing and play music from other styles and cultures, showing growing confidence and skill, while learning about musical notation and performance direction. EXA 1-16a
  • I can use my voice, musical instruments and music technology to discover and enjoy playing with sound, rhythm, pitch and dynamics. EXA 1-17a
  • Inspired by a range of stimuli, and working on my own and/or with others, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities. EXA 1-18a
  • I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. I can give and accept constructive comment on my own and others’ work. EXA 1-19a

Resources

  • Device for playing music and speaker
  • Interactive whiteboard
  • Whiteboard and pen
  • iPad (for recording purposes)
  • A selection of four different types of untuned percussion instruments, enough for everyone in the class to have one each (e.g. claves, egg shakers, bells, boomwhackers)

Useful Links

If you search for ‘body percussion composition grids’ on Google images, you will find examples of body percussion compositions.

Music – First Level: Listening Lesson (Carnival of the Animals)

Learners will be supported to identify musical concepts (e.g. fast/slow, loud/quiet), using Italian terms, where appropriate (e.g. loud is ‘forte’).
Learners will develop their knowledge of instruments of the orchestra and the ‘families’ these instruments belong to.
Learners will be encouraged to link musical concepts and instrumentation with imagery of different animals (e.g. a low pitched instrument playing loudly might represent a large, heavy animal)

First Level Listening Lesson (Carnival of the Animals)

(PDF Download)

Experiences and Outcomes:

I can respond to music by describing my thoughts and feelings about my own and others’ work EXA 1-19a

Learning Intentions

  • We are learning to recognise instruments.
  • We are learning to recognise fast/slow, loud/quiet, staccato/legato sounds.
  • We are learning to recognise how composers use music to create images/set scenes.

Success Criteria

  • I am able to name and describe some instruments that I hear.
  • I am able to talk about whether the music is fast/slow, loud/quiet, staccato/legato.
  • I am able to explain why the music that I hear makes me think of a particular image.

Resources

Useful Links

Websites for introducing orchestral instruments:

Music – First Level: Composing Lesson Sound Story – ‘The Billy Goats Gruff’

The children will become familiar with the story ‘The Billy Goats Gruff’, some percussion instruments and the sounds they make.
Children will explore and create sounds (using voice, body or instruments) to represent each character and scene in the story.
Children will explain their choices and discuss how the sounds will be performed (fast/slow, loud/quiet, smooth/detached).
Children perform a sound story by following a ‘conductor’ to play when each character/scene appears in the story.  They will also be supported in this by use of a story map, which can be used as a graphic score.

First Level Composing Lesson – Sound Story – ‘The Billy Goats Gruff’
(PDF Download)

Experiences and Outcomes:

  • I can use my voice, musical instruments and music technology to discover and enjoy playing with sound, rhythm, pitch and dynamics.  EXA 1-17a
  • Inspired by a range of stimuli, and working on my own and/or with others, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities.  EXA 1-18a

Learning Intentions

  • To represent characters and scenes through sound.
  • To create sound using voice, body and instruments.
  • To follow a graphic score.

Success Criteria

  • I am able to create sounds matched to characters in a story
  • I am able to talk about the sounds I have created, explaining my choices.
  • I am able to follow a leader to perform a sound story

Resources

Music – Early Level: Primary 1 – Listening Lesson (In the Hall of the Mountain King)

In this lesson, learners will listen to a piece of music and respond to changes in tempo and dynamics using movement. The teacher will model movements for the children to copy before creating their own in response to the music.

Learners will have opportunities to talk about how the music makes them feel and what it makes them think about/picture as they listen. Learners will be supported to identify fast and slow, loud and quiet, passages in the music and to talk about how the music changes.

Early Level Listening Lesson – In the Hall of the Mountain King

(PDF Download)

Experiences and Outcomes:

I can respond to music by describing my thoughts and feelings about my own and others’ work EXA 0-19a

Learning Intentions

  • To respond to music through movement
  • To link music with our emotions
  • To recognise fast and slow, loud and quiet sounds

Success Criteria

  • I am able to talk about how the music makes me feel
  • I am able to listen to talk about how the music changes
  • I am able to change my movement to match the slow and fast, quiet and loud, parts of the music

Resources

Useful Links

Music – First Level: Primary 4 – Music of Scotland

Experiences and Outcomes:

I can sing and play music from other styles and cultures, showing growing confidence and skill, while learning about musical notation and performance direction. EXA 1-16a

I can use my voice, musicall instruments and music technology to discover and enjoy playing with sound, rhythm, pitch and dynamics. EXA 1-17a

Inspired by a range of stimuli, and working on my own and/or with others, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities. EXA 1-18a

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. I can give and accept constructive comment on my own and others’ work. EXA 1-19a

I have experienced the energy and excitement of presenting/performing for audiences and being part of an audience for other people’s presentations/performances. EXA 1-01a

 Skills:                                                                                                  

  • Keep a steady beat with movement and body percussion
  • Respond to a leader/conductor by following performance directions to start/stop or to sing/play louder or quieter, faster or slower
  • Internalise the words of song/rhyme
  • Perform sounds to go with songs, pictures, stories, poems and videos using an increasing range of body percussion, vocal effects, instruments and objects.
  • Use a form of music notation to write down compositions for performance, e.g. pictures, graphic score, stick notation
  • Listen to a range of live and/or recorded music and respond by expressing personal views, e.g., reasons for likes and dislikes: ‘I liked it because…’, ‘It made me think of…’​

DOWNLOAD LESSON PLANS (Sequence of 3 Lessons)

Music – First Level: Primary 3 – Music of Scotland

Experiences and Outcomes:

I can sing and play music from other styles and cultures, showing growing confidence and skill, while learning about musical notation and performance direction. EXA 1-16a

I can use my voice, musicall instruments and music technology to discover and enjoy playing with sound, rhythm, pitch and dynamics. EXA 1-17a

Inspired by a range of stimuli, and working on my own and/or with others, I can express and communicate my ideas, thoughts and feelings through musical activities. EXA 1-18a

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. I can give and accept constructive comment on my own and others’ work. EXA 1-19a

I have experienced the energy and excitement of presenting/performing for audiences and being part of an audience for other people’s presentations/performances. EXA 1-01a

 Skills:                                                                                                  

  • Keep a steady beat with movement and body percussion
  • Respond to a leader/conductor by following performance directions to start/stop or to sing/play louder or quieter, faster or slower
  • Internalise the words of song/rhyme
  • Perform sounds to go with songs, pictures, stories, poems and videos using an increasing range of body percussion, vocal effects, instruments and objects.
  • Use a form of music notation to write down compositions for performance, e.g. pictures, graphic score, stick notation
  • Listen to a range of live and/or recorded music and respond by expressing personal views, e.g., reasons for likes and dislikes: ‘I liked it because…’, ‘It made me think of…’​

DOWNLOAD LESSON PLANS (Sequence of 3 Lessons)

Music – 2nd Level: Listening Lesson linked to Instrumental Groups

Prior Learning:

The children may have already have been listening to songs/music mentioning the world around us – the sea, mountains, space, weather, as well as responding with their feelings, which instruments/voices they hear.

Experiences and Outcomes

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Skills from CREATE Music Tracker

  • Listen and respond to musical pieces of increasing length and listen appropriately to the views of others.
  • Listen to a range of live and/or recorded music and respond by expressing personal views.
  • Listen to and watch musicians perform a range of musical genres.
  • Recognise different ensembles and name the instruments within them.
  • Listen to and identify the different sections of the orchestra (strings, woodwind, brass, percussion) and gain a deeper understanding of how the timbre of different instruments can convey different moods/atmospheres.

Activities

Discuss different styles of music and how you recognise them, i.e.
Scottish – you may hear instruments from Scotland like bagpipes, accordion.
Classical – usually played by an orchestra
Pop – played by a band etc.

Play each excerpt in turn, pausing for discussion after each piece, asking the questions:

Can you recognise if it’s a male/female voice? (If there’s only one voice it’s a solo) Or is it a group of voices? How does the song make you feel? Are there any instruments you recognise in the background? Is it loud/quiet? Fast/slow? Are there lots of instruments or a few?  What kind of style is it?

NB Do play each one more than once – you could play a couple of times, then discuss, then play again to listen out for the things you’ve drawn their attention to.

  1. Scottish Airs (Highland Pipes and Drums)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7oac68zqdw&list=OLAK5uy_nXjfxe-hfE2Zw2sIdlqEjYgleEc6aya2k&index=15

Starts with snare drum roll, then bagpipes play.

Hopefully the children will recognise the sound as typically Scottish! You could use the music to march to the steady beat.

  1. Yellow (Coldplay) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdVAqxNLXiw

Instruments: Acoustic, electric and bass guitars, drumkit

Starts with acoustic guitar, then electric joins in with power chords, then bass guitar with drumkit to add to driving rhythm. Solo male voice singing.

Rock? Band. Male solo voice.

  1. Be Our Guest (Beauty and the Beast) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afzmwAKUppU

Orchestral backing. Voices – full chorus (group) singing.

About 20 secs into excerpt it slows down, starts to get faster again until it’s back at the first speed until the end. Big (loud) finish.

Conclude

Throughout the year we’ve looked at: voices (male/female, solo/group), instruments, styles of music (orchestra/rock group etc), music expressing feelings, whether music is loud/quiet, fast/slow.

Encourage the children to use these pointers in their own listening.

Music – 2nd Level: Listening Lesson linked to Voices

Prior Learning:

The children may have already listened to songs where they’ve been asked to recognise male/female voices – and also have been asked to describe how the songs made them feel. This lesson follows on from that, introducing more male/female and group vocal examples.

Experiences and Outcomes

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Skills from CREATE Music Tracker

  • Listen and respond to musical pieces of increasing length and listen appropriately to the views of others.
  • Listen to a range of live and/or recorded music and respond by expressing personal views.
  • Listen to and watch musicians perform a range of musical genres.
  • Recognise different ensembles and name the instruments within them.
  • Listen to and identify the different sections of the orchestra (strings, woodwind, brass, percussion) and gain a deeper understanding of how the timbre of different instruments can convey different moods/atmospheres.

Activities

Remind the children of what they have previously learned about male and female voices.
How do you know it’s male?  (the pitch/tone of the voice is lower/deeper)
How do you know it’s female? (the pitch/tone of the voice is higher/sweeter)
How do you know it’s a solo? (there’s only one person singing)
How do you know it’s a group? (more than one voice singing together)

Play each excerpt in turn, pausing for discussion after each piece, asking the questions:

Can you recognise if it’s a male/female voice? (If there’s only one voice it’s a solo) Or is it a group of voices? How does the song make you feel? Are there any instruments you recognise in the background? Is it loud/quiet? Fast/slow? Are there lots of instruments or a few?  What kind of style is it? (pop, from a musical, classical, country, opera etc)  The children may or may not know about styles, but it’s good to expose them to different types of music.

NB Do play each one more than once – you could play a couple of times, then discuss, then play again to listen out for the things you’ve drawn their attention to.

  1. Cruella de Vil  (101 Dalmations – sung by Dr John)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWpThwwq33k

Instruments: Piano, drumkit, solo clarinet, saxophones
Piano intro, boogie woogie style. Male voice, then drumkit joins in. Clarinet joins in a bit later adding at the end of each line. Next chorus, saxophones join in underneath.
Jazzy, Blues, male solo voice, from a musical Disney film

  1. Somewhere Over the Rainbow  (Eva Cassidy)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_eu5Jt0DYc

Instruments: Only guitar
Guitar intro, solo female voice

  1. O Fortuna  (from Carmina Burana by Orff)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXFSK0ogeg4

Instruments: Orchestra, big cymbal crashes
Starts loudly, full chorus. Still full chorus but drops down v quietly

Conclude

Point out that these pieces of music are all different styles – Disney (musical), Folk, and Classical (choral) – encourage them to think about that when they hear different types of music at home.

Music – 2nd Level: Listening Lesson linked to Voices/Instruments

Prior Learning:

The children may have been exposed to different voices/instrument groups through previous listening activities, listening to the radio/tv etc.

Experiences and Outcomes

I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-19a

Skills from CREATE Music Tracker

  • Listen and respond to musical pieces of increasing length and listen appropriately to the views of others.
  • Listen to a range of live and/or recorded music and respond by expressing personal views.
  • Listen to and watch musicians perform a range of musical genres.
  • Recognise different ensembles and name the instruments within them.
  • Listen to and identify the different sections of the orchestra (strings, woodwind, brass, percussion) and gain a deeper understanding of how the timbre of different instruments can convey different moods/atmospheres.

Activities

Discuss how you know if a voice is male or female.
How do you know it’s male?  (the pitch/tone of the voice is lower/deeper)
How do you know it’s female? (the pitch/tone of the voice is higher/sweeter)

Discuss again how music can make you feel a certain way – happy, sad, like dancing, like an animal etc

Play each excerpt in turn, pausing for discussion after each piece, asking the questions:

Are there voices? If so, can you recognise if it’s a male/female voice(s)? How does the song make you feel? Are there any instruments you recognise in the background? Is it loud/quiet? Fast/slow? Are there lots of instruments or a few?

NB Do play each one more than once – you could play a couple of times, then discuss, then play again to listen out for the things you’ve drawn their attention to.

  1. Waltz from ‘Coppelia’ Ballet (Delibes)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dixdXcZouZ8

Instruments: Orchestra, but mainly strings playing the melody (violins)

The excerpt starts quite loudly, then has a moment of quiet, slowing down before taking off again. The music is for dancing to so hopefully the children will pick that up.

  1. Sunshine on Leith (Proclaimers) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmELS03_4So

Instruments: Piano only

Starts with piano introduction, then male voice singing (solo), a bit later, another male voice joins in with a harmony.

Sad? Slow?

  1. The Aviary from ‘Carnival of the Animals’ (Saint-Saens)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSzQrGp-jDM

Instruments: Piano, woodwind, some strings.

Starts with flute, some strings underneath holding long notes, piano joins in with trills and flourishes, flute and piano conversation, flute playing up and down scales and ‘tweets’.

It’s supposed to represent birds.

Conclude

Encourage the children to always be actively listening when they hear a piece of music – is it fast/slow, loud/quiet, which instruments can they hear? etc