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Lesson 5 of 6
  • Year 4

Perform a melodic ostinato

I can perform and read a melodic ostinato.

Lesson 5 of 6
New
New
  • Year 4

Perform a melodic ostinato

I can perform and read a melodic ostinato.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A melodic ostinato is a short, repeating melody that usually accompanies a song or piece of music.
  2. Bar lines show where strong beats are and keep the music organised.
  3. We can use the finger stave to read and sing a melodic ostinato.
  4. The beat pattern in 3-time feels: strong - weak - weak.

Keywords

  • Ostinato - a repeating musical pattern which can by rhythmic or melodic

  • Bar lines - vertical lines on a stave that show how the music is organised into groups of strong and weak beats

  • Solfège - a system of naming pitches so we can recognise patterns by ear, e.g. so, mi, do

  • Stave - horizontal lines on which musical notes can be placed

Common misconception

When singing in parts it's better to sing loudly so that you are not distracted by the other parts.

If everyone sings more gently, they can hear themselves, and others, properly.


To help you plan your year 4 music lesson on: Perform a melodic ostinato, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage pupils to listen to each other carefully when singing in parts. In Alabama Gal, both parts should start on the same pitch. Audio recording pupils, so they can listen to themselves, can be a useful review.
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

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4 Questions

Q1.
Which rhythm below has been drawn incorrectly?

An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz

Q2.
Which hand sign patterns shows: so - mi - do - so ?

Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz

Q3.
Match the word to the definition:

Correct Answer:melodic shape,up and down movement of pitches in music

up and down movement of pitches in music

Correct Answer:round,different groups sing the same song, but start at different times

different groups sing the same song, but start at different times

Correct Answer:partner songs,two songs that fit together when sung at the same time

two songs that fit together when sung at the same time

Q4.
An ostinato is ...

Correct answer: a repeating musical pattern that can be rhythmic or melodic
a way of visually representing and recording music
a combination of notes to make a memorable tune

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Which words in 'Oliver Cromwell' were repeated to create an ostinato?

Oliver Cromwell
over his head
apple tree
Correct answer: hee haw

Q2.
Which pitch pattern below shows : so - so - mi - mi ?

An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz

Q3.
Choose the correct solfège for this pattern:

An image in a quiz
so - mi - mi - do
so - mi - do - do
so - mi - do - mi
Correct answer: so - mi - so - do

Q4.
Which of these is bad advice for singing in parts?

Tapping the beat with your feet can help you stay in time.
Correct answer: Covering your ears means you can concentrate on your part.
Sing gently.
Listen to the other parts as you sing.

Additional material

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