Learning a sea shanty in harmony and developing a performance
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can sing a sea shanty in harmony with changing dynamics and using call and response.
Key learning points
- Singing in harmony means that more than one group of singers sing different notes that blend together.
- When singing in harmony, we are aware of the overall balance of the sound so that no one part overwhelms the others.
- In most songs, the melody should be slightly louder than the harmony.
- Call and response singing and changing dynamics can help us tell a story when performing.
Keywords
Harmony - the notes that accompany the melody
Balance - how each part is matched against another to ensure that no one part overwhelms the others
Dynamics - how loud or quiet the music is
Call and response - a question and answer musical structure
Common misconception
If a part is higher then we should sing it louder.
It's easy to accidentally sing higher harmonies louder than the main melody. Remember balance. The melody should be louder than the harmony part.
Teacher tip
There are opportunities for differentiation. Students who have less experience singing may prefer to sing the melody this time, and students with prior musical experience may want to try part 2 as the harmony is more challenging.
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which performance instruction indicates we should sing quietly?
Q2.Which performance instruction tells us to sing loudly?
Q3.Which should be loudest, the harmony or the melody?
Q4.What type of workers traditionally sang sea shanties?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.When singing in harmony, what should we do?
Q2.Which action would help us improve our storytelling when singing?
Q3.Call and response is an example of which musical element?
Q4.Match the texture to its correct description.
everyone sings the same melody together
different notes sung together at the same time
a soloist sings and a group answers in harmony
one singer performs alone
To help you plan your 7 music lesson on: Learning a sea shanty in harmony and developing a performance, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 music lesson on: Learning a sea shanty in harmony and developing a performance, 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 Year 7 song guides unit, dive into the full secondary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.