Music - Year 9

Music Overview

Term 1 or 2: Song Writing

Students will learn about the construction of songs with a focus on strophic form, using verse and chorus and build chord sequences that will have a melody. This will be done using GarageBand or similar software.

  1. • Compositions will be assessed on how students have used a range of musical elements with coherence creating musical ideas and developing interest. They will demonstrate through aural identification mostly accurate knowledge of a range of musical elements, contexts and language (including a range of notation) and have an understanding and increasingly accurate application of key words in response to music studie
Melody

a sequence of single notes, also known as a Tune.

Rhythm

a strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound

Harmony

Groups of notes played together, also known as chords.

Structure

Song structure or the musical forms of songs, also known as Form.

chords

2 or more notes sounding at the same time

key signature

a series of #'s or b's (sharps or flats) to indicate what notes are in the scale.

word painting

when music is used to underpin the meaning of the words

Metre

The rhythmic structure, the patterns of accents heard regularly recurring measures of stressed (accented) and unstressed (unaccented) beats at the frequency of the music’s pulse. Metre is notated at the beginning of a composition with a time signature.

DAW

Digital Audio Workstation - an example is Garageband.

Broken Chord

A chord in which the notes are played one after the other rather than at the same time.

Chorus

The repeated part of a song in a verse-chorus structure.

Drum machine

An electronic device that replicates the sounds of various percussion instruments.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Students will learn a range of literacy skills when writing lyrics, which will support them across other subjects. They will continue to create music and develop performance skills.

Create a supportive community:

Themes can be used to support learning across the curriculum when writing lyrics.

Term 1 or 2: On Cue - Whoza Mtwana

Using music from South African Townships, we will perform a piece as a whole class and then move into small groups to recreate our own versions that includes solos and improvising. Students will learn to sing ShoSholosa.

  1. Students will be assessed using the following criteria.

    -Play and perform confidently in a small ensemble using voice, playing instruments musically, fluently and with accuracy and expression.

    -create an arrangement of a piece that students choose

    -use staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately

    -develop a deeper understanding of the music they they perform.

Melody

a sequence of single notes, also known as a Tune.

Harmony

Groups of notes played together, also known as chords.

Structure

Song structure or the musical forms of songs, also known as Form.

hexatonic scale

a scale that is made from 6 notes, often used in African township music.

key signature

a series of #'s or b's (sharps or flats) to indicate what notes are in the scale.

rhythm

Sound organised over time.

dynamics

How loud or quiet the music is.

expression

The act of communicating emotion in music.

Metre

The rhythmic structure, the patterns of accents heard regularly recurring measures of stressed (accented) and unstressed (unaccented) beats at the frequency of the music’s pulse. Metre is notated at the beginning of a composition with a time signature.

Cadence

a chord progression that forms an ending of a section of music.

Township Music

Originating from South Africa, this form of music combines jazz and pop.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Students will develop their ability to remember patterns and musical phrases and learn to play by ear.

Create a supportive community:

An understanding of the wider world and an appreciation for other cultures.

Term 3 or 4: Sequencing in the Deep End

Students will rehearse and record a piece of popular music and build on their mutli-tracking and arrangement skills. They will further develop their understanding of harmonic and melodic structures.

  1. Creating

    -I can layer sounds effectively (harmony) and fulfil the brief.

    -I can create music with expression

    -I can organise ideas musically with a strong sense of structure.

    -I can develop my musical ideas with imagination

    -I can create music that successfully combines many musical elements and my piece sounds finished.

    Listening, Knowledge and Appraising

    -I can read some notation and identify and describe musical elements

    -I can identify features of music using accurate musical vocabulary and identify strengths and weaknesses of my own work.

    -I can analyse some techniques and devices using correct musical vocabulary.

    -I can transcribe music I have heard and am fluent at reading both treble and bass clef.

    -I can analyse and evaluate advanced musical features in music and use musical vocabulary to make excellent critical judgements.

Melody

a sequence of single notes, also known as a Tune.

Rhythm

a strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound

Harmony

Groups of notes played together, also known as chords.

Structure

Song structure or the musical forms of songs, also known as Form.

looping

a technique used in electronic music where a sound is repeated.

Sequencing

Using technology to record ideas and arrange them in a particular order

key signature

a series of #'s or b's (sharps or flats) to indicate what notes are in the scale.

texture

layering of sounds and instruments

Metre

The rhythmic structure, the patterns of accents heard regularly recurring measures of stressed (accented) and unstressed (unaccented) beats at the frequency of the music’s pulse. Metre is notated at the beginning of a composition with a time signature.

DAW

Digital Audio Workstation - an example is Garageband.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Using ICT to programme and code. This is a transferable skill across a range of subjects.

Create a supportive community:

Students make links to other subjects and develop skills that are transferable.

Term 3 or 4: Eye of the Tiger

Another chance to form a band and choose a suitable piece of music to

perform. Students will have the chance to further develop their

performance skills on their chosen instrument.

  1. -Play and perform confidently in a small ensemble using voice, playing instruments musically, fluently and with accuracy and expression.

    -create an arrangement of a piece that students choose.

    -use staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately.

    -develop a deep understanding of the music they they perform.

Melody

a sequence of single notes, also known as a Tune.

Structure

Song structure or the musical forms of songs, also known as Form.

chords

2 or more notes sounding at the same time

Timbre

the characteristic quality of a sound, independent of pitch and loudness.

Texture

how many different instruments are playing together

key signature

a series of #'s or b's (sharps or flats) to indicate what notes are in the scale.

arrangement

creating a new version of an existing piece of music

expression

The act of communicating emotion in music.

tempo

The speed of music.

Harmony

The sounding of two or more musical notes at the same time. Harmony can be described as Diatonic, Chromatic, Consonant, and Dissonant, the use of a Pedal Note or Drone and different types of chords.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Students will work as a group to recreate a performance of a chosen song. They will use listening and aural skills to do this.

Create a supportive community:

Students will need to work together as a team to complete the work successfully.

Term 5 or 6: Music For Video Games

Students will explore similarities between film and game music and have a chance to create a range of themes for games using ICT. They will look at how music:

● creates a mood or emotion

● creates a sense of time or place

● represents a character

● preempts what’s about to happen

  1. Composing / Create

    -I can layer sounds effectively (harmony) and fulfil the brief.

    -I can create music with expression

    -I can organise ideas musically with a strong sense of structure.

    -I can develop my musical ideas with imagination

    -I can create music that successfully combines many musical elements and my piece sounds finished.

    Listening, knowledge and appraising

    -I can read some notation and identify and describe musical elements

    -I can identify features of music using accurate musical vocabulary and identify strengths and weaknesses of my own work.

    -I can analyse some techniques and devices using correct musical vocabulary.

    -I can transcribe music I have heard and am fluent at reading both treble and bass clef.

    -I can analyse and evaluate advanced musical features in music and use musical vocabulary to make excellent critical judgements.

Melody

a sequence of single notes, also known as a Tune.

Rhythm

a strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound

Harmony

Groups of notes played together, also known as chords.

Structure

Song structure or the musical forms of songs, also known as Form.

Timbre

the characteristic quality of a sound, independent of pitch and loudness.

looping

a technique used in electronic music where a sound is repeated.

Sequencing

Using technology to record ideas and arrange them in a particular order

Texture

how many different instruments are playing together

transition

connecting music (ie. music that accompanies a cut scene that aims to maintain the player’s interest)

stinger

music that represents an important event in the game

tag

a short ending which signals the conclusion of a level or section

Metre

The rhythmic structure, the patterns of accents heard regularly recurring measures of stressed (accented) and unstressed (unaccented) beats at the frequency of the music’s pulse. Metre is notated at the beginning of a composition with a time signature.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Students will develop ideas and make links between visual stimulus and audio.

Create a supportive community:

Peer to peer feedback, analysing and understanding how music can change and effect mood.

Term 5 or 6: Pachelbel’s Canon

Looking at music from the Baroque Period, students will learn about the concept of a Ground Bass and recreate their own contemporary version

of this well known piece, thinking about different arrangements and remixes.

  1. Students will be assessed using the following criteria.

    -Play and perform confidently in a small ensemble using voice, playing instruments musically, fluently and with accuracy and expression.

    -create an arrangement that is based on the ground bass and chord progression.

    -use staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately.

    -develop a deeper understanding of the music they perform.

Structure

Song structure or the musical forms of songs, also known as Form.

Ground Bass

a short recurring pattern in the bass part

Baroque

A period in music between 1600 and 1750.

  • Spiritual
  • Moral
  • Social
  • Cultural
Develop the individual:

Develop resilience, resourcefulness, responsibility, reflection and reasoning skills.

Create a supportive community:

Students work together as a band to produce a final product.