Making ideas more 'musical'
I can refine a musical idea so it has clear shape, rhythmic interest and fits my chosen style.
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- Year 11
- AQA
Making ideas more 'musical'
I can refine a musical idea so it has clear shape, rhythmic interest and fits my chosen style.
Copyrighted materials: to view and download resources from this lesson, you’ll need to be in the UK and
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Melodic ideas are shaped by intervals, contours and phrasing.
- Rhythmic variety makes ideas more engaging and interesting.
- Creative use of inversions and changing harmonic rhythm adds interest to a chord sequence.
- Ideas should be purposeful and fit the brief and chosen genre.
Keywords
Contour - the shape of a melody and how it rises and falls
Interval - the distance in pitch between two notes (e.g. a fifth or an octave)
Inversion - when the notes in a chord are repositioned so the root note is no longer the lowest note of the chord
Common misconception
More notes means a better melody.
A simple, well-shaped idea is often more effective than a busy one. Focus on contour and rhythm rather than quantity of notes.
Equipment
Pupils may be working on their composition using notation software or a DAW. They may need access to a piano or their instrument.
Licence
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