Skip to content
Skip to content
Teachers
Go to pupils
View unit
New
New
Lesson 1 of 6

Chants and songs with a call and response structure

I can sing and identify call and response structures in chants and songs.

View unit
Lesson 1 of 6
New
New

Chants and songs with a call and response structure

I can sing and identify call and response structures in chants and songs.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. We warm up before singing so that our bodies, minds and voices are ready to sing.
  2. Many of the songs and games we play have a call and response structure.
  3. Call and response chants and songs are found all around the world.
  4. Instrumental music can have a call and response structure too.
  5. Call and response is a question and answer musical structure.

Keywords

  • Warm up - a sequence of exercises used to prepare the mind, body and voice for singing

  • Call and response - a question and answer musical structure

  • Structure - the way the music or song is organised

Common misconception

Call and response is a singing structure.

The call and response structure can be found in songs, chants and instrumental music in musical styles all around the world.

To bring this unit to life, you might like to source a basket and the fruits we need as well as a selection of other fruits and vegetables.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
When we speak in time to the steady pulse, we are...

singing
Correct answer: chanting
playing
humming

Q2.
When we create musical sounds with our voice that can be a mixture of high sounds and low sounds, we are...

Correct answer: singing
chanting
playing
whispering

Q3.
Why is a steady pulse useful when we play music or sing together?

An image in a quiz
It helps us to sing higher.
Correct answer: It helps us to sing and chant in time together.
It helps us to sing louder.

Q4.
Pulse is...

the way the music is organised.
how fast or slow the music is played.
Correct answer: the steady heartbeat of the music.

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
We warm up so that we're ready to sing. Match the warm up to the part of our body it helps.

Correct Answer:vocal exercises,muscles in our throats

muscles in our throats

Correct Answer:clapping games,our brain and our concentration

our brain and our concentration

Correct Answer:tongue twisters,our lips and our mouth

our lips and our mouth

Q2.
Which of these describes structure?

An image in a quiz
the patterns of sounds we play and sing
Correct answer: the way the music is organised
how fast or slow the music is played

Q3.
When we answer a call, we are singing, chanting or playing a...

echo
question
Correct answer: response

Q4.
True or false, call and response is only a singing structure.

Correct Answer: false

Lesson appears in

UnitMusic / Compose and create: high and low melodic responses

Music

Show unit