Composing a countermelody
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can compose and perform songs in harmony as part of a choir, creating one pleasing, united sound.
Key learning points
- Adding a countermelody is a way of creating harmony and building texture.
- Do, mi, so work really well together when building harmonies.
- Live performances engage an audience and connect with their emotions more readily than recorded music.
- Live performances can help audiences feel a sense of wellbeing and belonging.
Keywords
Countermelody - a second melody that plays at the same time as the main melody
Harmony - the combination of two or more notes played or sung together, creating a pleasing sound
Texture - the combination of different layers of sounds
Live performance - a work that is presented to an audience in real time
Audience - a group of people gathered to listen to and watch a live performance
Common misconception
There's no difference between listening to live music and recorded music.
Many studies have shown that live music has a greater emotional impact on the listener compared to recorded music. The shared experience brings people together and increases the emotional impact of the music.
Teacher tip
Work with your class to create a countermelody that is simple for them to remember and pitch so that they experience success when singing in harmony.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.When we develop connections with family, friends or a wider community, we call this ...
Q2.When we sing in harmony, we need to listen carefully to our choral sound, making sure it is .
Q3.When a melody is going down, we can say it is .
Q4.Match the musical element to its definition:
how loud or quiet the music is
the speed of the music - how fast or slow the music is played
a description of the sound or tone of an instrument
the way the music is organised
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.An audience is ...
Q2.Why might a live performance be more impactful than a recorded performance?
Q3.Audience participation might include ...
Q4.A is a second melody that plays at the same time as the main melody. This creates harmony and a thicker texture.
To help you plan your 5 music lesson on: Composing a countermelody, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 music lesson on: Composing a countermelody, 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 Singing together: how songs unite us unit, dive into the full primary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.