Taking your performance from good to excellent
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can recognise and apply the subtle qualities that turn a good performance into an excellent one.
Key learning points
- Expression adds personality and meaning to music.
- Phrasing and controlled use of tempo shape how the music flows and feels.
- Subtle contrasts in dynamics and articulation help to elevate the performance and create musical interest.
- Understanding the style and character of the piece informs how you interpret and shape your performance.
Keywords
Expression - adding feeling and emotion to music
Phrasing - shaping musical ideas
Interpretation - the performer’s personal musical choices
Style - the musical features linked to a genre or period
Common misconception
Expression just means playing louder and quieter.
Dynamics play a large part in developing an expressive performance, but expression also includes tempo, phrasing, articulation and musical interpretation.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to exaggerate dynamics and phrasing at first so expressive details become more noticeable and deliberate.
Equipment
Pupils will need access to their own instruments.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Match the articulation marking to its effect.
short and detached
emphasised
plucked
sudden emphasis
Q2.Order these dynamic marking in order from quietest to loudest.
Q3.What word describes smooth and connected articulation?
Q4.What word describes flexibility in tempo, used for expressive effect?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which combination of features can help make a performance more expressive?
Q2.What word describes a performer's personal musical understanding of a piece?
Q3.Why is interpretation important in a performance?
Q4.Which statement best describes a stylistically convincing performance?
To help you plan your 10 music lesson on: Taking your performance from good to excellent, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 music lesson on: Taking your performance from good to excellent, 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 4 music lessons from the Introduction to performance unit, dive into the full secondary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.