Extending and refining creative ideas
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can develop a musical idea and compose a piece of music which balances the use of repetition and new ideas.
Key learning points
- We can refine musical ideas by thinking about the melodic shape and choice of notes.
- ABA is a common structure. It starts and finishes with the same idea (A) and uses a contrasting idea (B) in the middle.
- This gives music a balance of unity and variety, making it interesting and memorable.
- We have composed a piece of music in an ABA structure, using the elements of music appropriately to depict an image.
Keywords
Motif - a short musical idea that recurs throughout a piece of music
Melodic shape - the outline of a melodic idea and the shape that’s created with the different pitches
ABA structure - a structure consisting of three sections of music where the first and last section are the same and the middle section is different
Common misconception
The A sections in a musical structure which has a repeated A section have to be the same.
Strong musical ideas usually have a balance of unity and variety, so even when a section is repeated, providing the main melodic idea is recognisable there can be some small changes which then helps to find this balance.
Teacher tip
The main point of the lesson is that pupils have a musical idea that they can develop. The lesson focusses on a motif but it could be an ostinato or developed into an ostinato. The lesson musical examples can also be analysed from a rhythm perspective to support with rhythmic development.
Equipment
Keyboard, or other suitable instrument such as tuned classroom percussion
Licence
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