Creating and improvising contrasting ostinati
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create and develop contrasting ostinati, including through the use of retrograding.
Key learning points
- When creating melodic ideas, improvising using a scale is a useful technique to try out different ideas.
- We can create variety by changing the pitch of our ostinati, though still using the notes of the Dm pentatonic scale.
- Retrograding is reversing the order of notes. This is another technique that we can use to develop our melodic ideas.
Keywords
Improvise - If you improvise you make something up on the spot.
Pitch - Pitch is how high or low the sound is.
Retrograde - If you retrograde a melody it reverses the order of the notes.
Common misconception
Using the same rhythm in different ostinati creates effective contrast.
Using different rhythms in your ostinati is important for creating contrast. If they use the same rhythm, they will inevitably sound very similar. Try coming up with some interesting rhythm by clapping, then play them using notes on the keyboard.
Teacher tip
Retrograding is an interesting tool for thinking about using the same notes in a different way. In this part of the lesson, encourage pupils to explore different ways of using the same notes beyond pure retrograding. Can you use the same four pitches but in a faster or slower rhythm, for example?
Equipment
A DAW or other suitable compositional tool or instrument
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.A scale is a set of five notes.
Q2.What does pitch mean?
Q3.We could describe texture as .
Q4. percussion instruments can not play pitched notes (e.g. C, D, F).
Q5. percussion instruments can play pitched notes (e.g. C, D, F).
Q6.Which note is missing here from the D minor pentatonic scale? D, F, A, C
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is retrograding?
Q2.An is a short musical idea that repeats.
Q3.Which of these shows a retrograded version of this melody?
Q4.What is improvising?
Q5.What is the difference between these two melodies?
Q6.What is the difference between these two melodies?
To help you plan your 7 music lesson on: Creating and improvising contrasting ostinati, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 music lesson on: Creating and improvising contrasting ostinati, 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 3 music lessons from the Minimalist composition unit, dive into the full secondary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.