How music can paint pictures
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can compose a piece of music with appropriate use of the elements of music to represent a chosen stimulus.
Key learning points
- Using the elements of music appropriately can help us depict an image or tell a story with music.
- Structure is an important element of music that refers to how the sections within a piece of music are organised.
- Composing a musical idea as a starting point for a composition which depicts a scene.
- It is important that a musical idea recurs like a motif, or repeats like an ostinato, to ensure the piece is memorable.
Keywords
Elements of music - important aspects of music (such as pitch, tempo and dynamics) which can be used to help us understand music
Structure - the different sections of a piece of music and how it is organised
Motif - a short musical idea that recurs throughout a piece of music
Ostinato - a short repeated pattern
Common misconception
We can develop a composition around any element of music.
Using the elements of music, particularly individually, is not always helpful for pupils to make a start on a composition. Finding a musical starting point such as a set of notes or rhythm allows pupils to then explore the elements through that idea.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to think about the quality of their musical idea and give them guidance on this. This will help pupils to make choices within musical parameters - which will change later as they learn more about music. Where pupils can do this successfully, they may creatively 'break' those rules.
Equipment
Keyboard, or other suitable instrument such as tuned classroom percussion
Licence
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