Refining ideas and adding expression
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can improve my composition by adding expressive detail and making effective musical decisions.
Key learning points
- Refining focuses on improving existing ideas rather than adding new material.
- Adding expression (dynamics, articulation, tempo) shapes the music and makes it more engaging.
- Expressive features should shape phrases and highlight important moments.
- Musical decisions should be purposeful and suit the brief, genre and instrumentation.
Keywords
Expression - the use of musical elements to add feeling and character
Dynamics - how loud or quiet the music is
Articulation - how individual notes or groups of notes should be played or sung
Automation - changing parameters (e.g. volume or effects) over time to add expression
Common misconception
Adding more markings is the same as adding expression.
Markings must be appropriate and consistent. A forte marking on a relaxing piece, or dynamics only at the start, do not demonstrate expressive understanding.
Teacher tip
Ask pupils to listen back to their piece with the brief in mind and note one moment that doesn't quite fit. Targeted refinement from a specific observation is far more productive than general editing.
Equipment
Pupils may be working on their composition using notation software or a DAW. They may need access to a piano or their instrument.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What musical term is used to describe the speed of the music?
Q2.What does the word dynamics refer to in music?
Q3.Which of the following is an example of an articulation marking?
Q4.What is meant by phrasing in music?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.True or false? When you add expression, you only need to add dynamic markings.
Q2.A pupil is composing a piece for an audio guide to a botanical garden. Which combination of expressive markings would be most appropriate to create a relaxing mood?
Q3.Which of the following best describes writing idiomatically for an instrument?
Q4.A pupil wants to show how their piece develops expressively. Which of the following would best achieve this?
To help you plan your 11 music lesson on: Refining ideas and adding expression, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 music lesson on: Refining ideas and adding expression, 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 Composing to a brief: extending ideas unit, dive into the full secondary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.