Myths about teaching can hold you back
- Year 5
Building a minimalist piece
I can build a minimalist composition creating cells that compliment and connect well to each other.
- Year 5
Building a minimalist piece
I can build a minimalist composition creating cells that compliment and connect well to each other.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- We can create melodic cells that compliment each other with a similar melodic shape but different rhythms.
- Using notes of a longer duration creates a slower feeling rhythm.
- Using notes of a shorter duration creates a faster feeling rhythm.
- As composers, we can select instruments for their timbre when deciding the instrumentation for a new piece of music.
Keywords
Cell - simple musical patterns that can be rhythmic or melodic (an ostinato in minimalism)
Melodic shape - up and down movement of pitches in music
Duration - the length of a sound or silence
Instrumentation - the combination of musical instruments used in a piece of music
Common misconception
Cells in minimalist music are all new ideas and are not connected.
Even music that can feel 'random' is often born from a single idea. For an effective minimalist piece, use cells that relate in rhythm or melody.
To help you plan your year 5 music lesson on: Building a minimalist piece, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 5 music lesson on: Building a minimalist piece, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 music lessons from the Compose and rehearse: creating and combining minimalist cells unit, dive into the full primary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
A variety of pitched and unpitched percussion based on composition needs. Pitched percussion needs the notes C, D, E, F, G.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Match the musical element to its definition.
the pattern of sounds and silences that we play and sing
the playing or showing of the steady pulse like the ticking of a clock
the way the music is organised
how high or low a note is