Choosing the right piece
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can evaluate and select a performance piece that suits my ability and allows expressive playing.
Key learning points
- Good performances are accurate, fluent and expressive.
- A well prepared easier piece is stronger than a more difficult piece that isn't secure.
- The piece should show the performer’s strengths, and allow for personal interpretation.
- Understanding the style and demands of a piece supports confident learning.
- Check the exam board specification carefully before choosing your piece.
Keywords
Fluency - playing smoothly and confidently
Expression - adding feeling and emotion to music
Accuracy - playing the correct notes and rhythms
Interpretation - the performer’s personal musical choices
Common misconception
Playing harder pieces will always get better marks.
An easier piece performed accurately and expressively is usually more successful than a difficult piece played insecurely.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to justify choices using specific assessment criteria (accuracy, fluency, expression, and style) rather than personal preference alone.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which statement best describes a fluent performance?
Q2.Which assessment criteria focuses on whether the rhythms, pitches and the performance directions on the score are played correctly?
Q3.Put these rehearsal priorities in the right order:
Q4.Match the musical term to its description.
shaping the music to help us communicate the meaning to the audience
the speed of the music
the sound or tone quality
how a note or groups of notes are played
the volume of the music
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Which type of performance piece is usually the best choice for a GCSE performance?
Q2.What word describes the physical ability to sustain performance quality over a long piece?
Q3.Match the factor to what it helps demonstrate.
technical and musical ability
stylistic understanding
interpretation and expression
accuracy and control
Q4.What word describes shaping the music using, slurs, articulation, dynamics and phrase marks?
To help you plan your 10 music lesson on: Choosing the right piece, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 music lesson on: Choosing the right piece, 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.