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Lesson 5 of 6
  • Year 2

Developing part singing

I can practise a song to prepare for a performance.

Lesson 5 of 6
New
New
  • Year 2

Developing part singing

I can practise a song to prepare for a performance.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Practising helps to improve musical skill and prepare for a performance.
  2. We can sing with different characters or feeling of a mood.
  3. Controlling dynamics helps different parts in music be heard clearly.
  4. An accompaniment should support the melody, not overpower it.
  5. Singing musically means thinking about the whole sound, not just our own voice.

Keywords

  • Practise - to work on improving a musical skills

  • Balance - making sure that all the musical parts work together and no part is too loud or too quiet

  • Dynamics - how loud or quiet the music is played or sung

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

  • Accompaniment - a musical part that supports the main melody or chant e.g. an ostinato

Common misconception

I should sing louder so my part can be heard over the others.

When we all sing louder, the music becomes unbalanced. If we listen and balance each layer, our music sounds clear and beautiful.


To help you plan your year 2 music lesson on: Developing part singing, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Before asking pupils to adjust their dynamics, demonstrate what balanced vs. unbalanced part-singing sounds like. Sing both parts yourself or with a confident helper — one version with the ostinato too loud, another with it just right.
Teacher tip

Equipment

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.
What is an ostinato?

Correct answer: a repeating pattern in music
a type of drum
a very high note

Q2.
We call the speed of the music the ...

dynamics
Correct answer: tempo
beat

Q3.
True or False? When we sing in unison, we all sing the same part together.

Correct Answer: true, correct, yes

Q4.
What should you do if you get out of time while singing in a group?

keep singing louder
stop and wait for the teacher
Correct answer: listen carefully and try to join back in

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

4 Questions

Q1.
What does the word dynamics mean in music?

how fast the music goes
Correct answer: how loud or quiet the music is
how high or low the note is
what instruments are used

Q2.
True or False? Balance in music means everyone sings loudly.

Correct Answer: false, no

Q3.
The __________ is a musical part that supports the main melody or chant.

Correct answer: accompaniment
melody
choir

Q4.
Why do we use quieter dynamics for the ostinato?

so it disappears
Correct answer: so it supports the melody without covering it
so no one hears it