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Lesson 4 of 6
  • Year 4

Reading and playing major melodies

I can read and play major melodies on tuned percussion.

Lesson 4 of 6
New
New
  • Year 4

Reading and playing major melodies

I can read and play major melodies on tuned percussion.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Stave notation can tell us the rhythms and pitches used in a melody, which we can use to help us perform it accurately.
  2. A rhythmic ostinato is a repeating pattern of sounds that can be clapped or played on a percussion instrument.
  3. We can select different rhythms to compose a rhythmic ostinato.
  4. Rhythmic ostinati can be played as an accompaniment to a sung melody.

Keywords

  • Stave - lines on which musical notes can be placed

  • Composition - a new piece of music that has been created

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

  • Rhythmic ostinato - a repeating musical idea created from a rhythmic pattern

Common misconception

A rhythmic ostinato is the same as the rhythm of the words.

We can make an ostinato using the rhythms of the words but often the ostinato has a different rhythm. It can be tricky to play an ostinato and sing a different rhythm!


To help you plan your year 4 music lesson on: Reading and playing major melodies, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

When learning to play melodies on pitched percussion instruments, give pupils a combination of group practice time (all playing the melody together as a class) and individual practice time when they can work at their own pace.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Class set of pitched percussions instruments. You could also use unpitched percussion to compose and play the ostinatos.

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

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4 Questions

Q1.
What is the major pentachord?

the first three notes of the major scale - do, re and mi
Correct answer: the first five notes of the major scale - do, re, mi, fa and so
the first five notes of the minor scale - la, ti, do, re and mi
the five notes of the pentatonic scale - do, re, mi, so and la

Q2.
What do we call the following rhythms?

An image in a quiz
takadimi
ta - mi
takadi
Correct answer: ta - di

Q3.
What would be the correct way of chanting this rhythmic pattern?

An image in a quiz
Correct answer: ta-di, takadimi, ta, ta-di
ta-di, ta-di, ta-di, ta
takadimi, takadimi, ta, ta
ta-di, ta, takadimi, takadimi

Q4.
What is a pitched percussion instrument?

any instrument played by striking, scraping or shaking
Correct answer: an instrument that can play musical notes of one or more pitch when we strike it
an instrument you blow into that plays a note
an instrument where you pluck a string to play a note

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What is an ostinato?

a melody that ascends
Correct answer: a repeating musical pattern
horizontal lines that musical notes are placed on
a "ta-di" rhythm

Q2.
A stave is ...

Correct answer: the lines on which musical notes are placed
the first five notes of the major pentachord
a repeating musical pattern
how we count in before we start playing

Q3.
How would you chant this rhythm?

An image in a quiz
ta, ta, takadi, ta
takadi, ta-di, ta-di, ta
ta-di, ta-di, takadi, ta
Correct answer: takadi, takadi, ta-di, ta

Q4.
What is an accompaniment part?

the main melody of a piece of music
the pitches used in a melody
Correct answer: a musical part that supports the main melody or chant
the count in used to start a piece