Myths about teaching can hold you back
- Year 11
- AQA
Timbre around the world
I can identify common instruments and timbres from a variety of musical traditions around the world.
Copyrighted materials: to view and download resources from this lesson, you’ll need to be in the UK and
- Year 11
- AQA
Timbre around the world
I can identify common instruments and timbres from a variety of musical traditions around the world.
Copyrighted materials: to view and download resources from this lesson, you’ll need to be in the UK and
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- There is a huge diversity of instruments around the world. Some have crossed between musical genres and traditions.
- Common non-Western drums include tabla, timbales, conga, djembe and dhol.
- There are many other important percussion instruments, including both tuned and untuned percussion.
- There is also a diverse range of stringed instruments that can be heard.
- These include guitar-like instruments like banjo, mandolin and bouzouki, and other instruments like tanpura and sarangi.
Keywords
Tabla - a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent with a range of timbres
Conga - a hand drum originating in Africa with a round, full timbre
Banjo - a guitar-like stringed instrument that has a distinct percussive ‘twangy’ timbre
Sitar - a stringed instrument from the Indian subcontinent that creates a rich, ringing timbre with use of its resonant strings
Common misconception
It is impossible to memorise the timbre of all of the different instruments around the world.
Yes, it would be impossible. However, learning to identify some of the key instruments is valuable - these are often heard in styles across different cultures, so learning the sound of the most common is important as a well-rounded musician.
To help you plan your year 11 music lesson on: Timbre around the world, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 music lesson on: Timbre around the world, 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 4 music lessons from the Timbre and texture in music around the world unit, dive into the full secondary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
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