Combining Wade In The Water with other spirituals
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can sing Wade In The Water with changing polyphonic textures.
Key learning points
- When songs are based on similar harmonic patterns, they can often be combined as partner songs.
- A polyphonic texture means each layer of harmony has a distinct melody that moves at different times.
- When we perform using more complex polyphonic textures, we need to pay close attention to balance.
- We need to listen carefully to the other parts and adjust our dynamics so that every line can be heard clearly.
Keywords
Polyphonic - each layer of harmony has a distinct melody that moves at different times
Anacrusis - the opening note or notes of a phrase which starts before the first beat of the bar (also called a pickup)
Balance - how each part is matched against another to ensure that no one part overwhelms the others
Blue note - a note sung at a lower pitch than the standard note in the scale to give an emotional, blues like effect
Common misconception
When singing different melodies on top of each other, sometimes singers "compete" to see which is the loudest!
The aim is to create a blended sound where all the melodies are audible.
Teacher tip
The audio recordings are at the lower octave. Parts can be sung at either octave to suit pupils' voices. For smaller groups, some parts can be ommitted; a two or three part arrangement works well too.
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.True of false? If two singers are singing different notes at the same time, they are singing in unison.
Q2.A melody starts just before beat 1 of the bar. What is this an example of?
Q3.Match the dynamic term to its meaning
quiet
loud
gradually getting louder
very loud
Q4.Which word describes how a song is organised into sections?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.If several independent vocal lines are layered together, what sort of texture does this create?
Q2.When songs have the same chord structure and can be sung at the same time, they are called songs.
Q3.In a group performance, what shows good balance?
Q4.Which is a good strategy for singing in harmony together?
To help you plan your 8 music lesson on: Combining Wade In The Water with other spirituals, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 music lesson on: Combining Wade In The Water with other spirituals, 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 8 song guides 2 unit, dive into the full secondary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.