New
New
Year 3

Partner songs as a singing structure

I can identify the different songs being sung in partner songs and know that a partner song is when two or more songs are sung at the same time.

New
New
Year 3

Partner songs as a singing structure

I can identify the different songs being sung in partner songs and know that a partner song is when two or more songs are sung at the same time.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Two or more songs can fit together musically. We call these partner songs.
  2. For partner songs to fit together, they should be sung to the same steady beat.
  3. Feeling the pulse helps each group stay together and enables the two songs to sound good together.
  4. Layering up partner songs together is a way of building texture.

Keywords

  • Pulse - the regular, steady heartbeat of the music

  • Tempo - how fast or slow the music is played

  • Partner songs - two or more separate songs that fit together musically when sung at the same time

  • Texture - the combination of different layers of sounds

Common misconception

Singing two songs together will clash and not sound harmonious.

Partner songs are made of notes that sound good together. The songs are partnered up because they fit harmoniously and can be sung following the same steady beat.


To help you plan your year 3 music lesson on: Partner songs as a singing structure, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

A conductor can be a teacher or a pupil (or they can work together). Once children are confident in their part (group), encourage pupils to move around the room and mix while they sing their partner song, so they become used to hearing the other partner song whilst they hold their own.
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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4 Questions

Q1.
Body percussion can be used to help us feel the ...
Correct answer: pulse
dynamics
structure
pitch
Q2.
Match the musical term to their meaning:
Correct Answer:tempo,how fast or slow the music is played

how fast or slow the music is played

Correct Answer:structure,the way the music is organised

the way the music is organised

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

the regular, steady heartbeat of the music

Correct Answer:round,structure where groups sing a melody starting at regular intervals

structure where groups sing a melody starting at regular intervals

Q3.
Make correct sentences by matching the phrases:
Correct Answer:Playing layers of music at the same time,thickens the texture of the sound.

thickens the texture of the sound.

Correct Answer:Rounds, call and response and echo,are all types of song structure.

are all types of song structure.

Correct Answer:Feeling the pulse,can help us keep in time together.

can help us keep in time together.

Q4.
True or false? Singing a round in four parts will create a thicker texture than singing a round in two parts.
Correct Answer: True, true, yes, correct

4 Questions

Q1.
If two or more songs fit together musically and can be sung together, we call these .
Correct Answer: partner songs, partner, Partner Songs
Q2.
For partner songs to sound good together, which three of the following should we do?
Correct answer: Sing the partner songs to the same steady beat
Sing loudly
Correct answer: Feel the pulse
Start singing straight away
Correct answer: Count in using 'ready, steady off we go' or '1, 2, 3, 4'
Q3.
We can create texture by adding partner songs together. What is texture?
Texture is the pattern of the sounds we play or sing.
Correct answer: Texture is the combination of different layers of sounds.
Texture is the way the music is organised.
Texture is how loud or quiet we sing or play.
Q4.
Which two of the following might be reasons that two partner songs fit together?
Correct answer: Both songs can be sung to the same steady pulse.
Correct answer: Both songs are of the same length.
Both songs are pop songs.
Both songs should be sung loudly.