Creating scary music
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can identify specific musical features that create suspense in music and can use these features to compose a short piece that suitably reflects a scene or action.
Key learning points
- Music can be used to create an atmosphere and convey a scene.
- Chromatic movement, note clusters and pedal notes create suspense and help to make the music sound scary.
- Appropriate use of pitch, tempo and dynamics can also be used to reflect actions, movement and mood in a scene.
- A successful musical idea is often repetitive and simple, using only a few notes.
Keywords
Chromatic - when a musical idea moves between the black and white notes on the keyboard
Note cluster - a group of notes adjacent to each other, played at the same time
Pedal - a continuous (usually low pitched) note
Common misconception
Any pitch and notes can work in a composition.
Encourage pupils to think about the choice of notes in their musical ideas and listen to how it sounds.
Teacher tip
The first two scene descriptions in task B are less abstract and potentially easier to convey with music. These are supported with examples later in the lesson which could be used earlier to scaffold as required.
Equipment
Keyboard instrument or other suitable instrument/DAW that can be used as a composition tool
Licence
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