Myths about teaching can hold you back
- Year 8
Fur Elise reimagined
I understand the key features of Fur Elise that give the music its character and can use these as the basis of an improvisation.
Copyrighted materials: to view and download resources from this lesson, you’ll need to be in the UK and
- Year 8
Fur Elise reimagined
I understand the key features of Fur Elise that give the music its character and can use these as the basis of an improvisation.
Copyrighted materials: to view and download resources from this lesson, you’ll need to be in the UK and
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Most music has its own distinctive features that make a piece enjoyable.
- Fur Elise's distinctive features include the opening motif, the use of sequence and the constant quaver rhythm.
- Musicians can use songs as inspiration for new music and adapt the original to make their own version.
- The B section of Fur Elise changes key to the relative major key. This has an impact on the feel of the music.
- We have created our own version of Fur Elise by changing the time signature, and adapting the melody and chords.
Keywords
Motif - a short melodic idea that recurs throughout a piece of music
Relative keys - keys in music that are based on two scales which use the same notes; every major scale has a relative minor scale e.g. C major and A minor
Time signature - the number of beats in a bar of music
Common misconception
Related keys are those with the same home (tonic) note such as C major and C minor.
Related keys are those with the same notes, but a different home (tonic note). Major and minor scales have different tone and semitone patterns, so they need to start three semitones apart for the notes to be the same.
To help you plan your year 8 music lesson on: Fur Elise reimagined, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 8 music lesson on: Fur Elise reimagined, 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.
Explore more key stage 3 music lessons from the Minor, major and developing keyboard skills unit, dive into the full secondary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Keyboard instrument (or DAW)
Licence
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