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Lesson 4 of 6
  • Year 2

Building a thicker texture with a sung ostinato

I can keep a sung ostinato going under a song.

Lesson 4 of 6
New
New
  • Year 2

Building a thicker texture with a sung ostinato

I can keep a sung ostinato going under a song.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Feeling the pulse and practising playing the beat helps get us ready for making harder music together.
  2. Body percussion can help us control the steady beat.
  3. A song can have more than one ostinato layered to create a thicker texture.
  4. An ostinato can be chanted, sung or played.

Keywords

  • Beat - the playing or showing of the steady pulse, like the ticking of a clock

  • Texture - the layering of different musical sounds

  • Accompaniment - a musical part that supports the main melody or chant

  • Melody - a combination of notes to make a memorable tune

  • Ostinato - a repeating musical pattern

Common misconception

When we sing, we have to change pitch

We can sing a phrase all on one note.


To help you plan your year 2 music lesson on: Building a thicker texture with a sung ostinato, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Dedicate lots of time to games and songs that develop a pupil's sense of pulse. This is vital for successful ensemble work and composing.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
The is the regular steady heartbeat of the music.

Correct Answer: pulse

Q2.
What is body percussion?

Correct answer: using the body to create percussive musical sounds
using the voice to sing improvised sounds
using instruments to make percussive musical sounds

Q3.
Which word means we are all singing the same thing together?

canon
Correct answer: unison
harmony

Q4.
Why might we add an ostinato underneath a song?

to make the texture thinner
to make the music louder
Correct answer: to make the music fuller and more interesting

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What makes a sung ostinato different from a chanted ostinato?

it uses our whispering voice
it uses our speaking voice
Correct answer: it uses our singing voice

Q2.
What does texture mean in music?

the fast beat of the music
Correct answer: how many layers of sound are heard
the shape of the melody

Q3.
Match the musical element to its definition.

Correct Answer:texture,the layering of different musical sounds

the layering of different musical sounds

Correct Answer:beat,the playing or showing of the steady pulse like the ticking of a clock

the playing or showing of the steady pulse like the ticking of a clock

Correct Answer:dynamics,how loud or quiet the music is played or sung

how loud or quiet the music is played or sung

Correct Answer:pulse,the regular, steady heartbeat of the music

the regular, steady heartbeat of the music

Q4.
True or false? We should use a strong singing voice every time we sing to show we are enjoying music.

Correct Answer: false