Genre specific considerations
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can analyse genre specific considerations and apply these ideas to my composition to a brief.
Key learning points
- Different musical genres have typical stylistic conventions such as instrumentation, structure, harmony and rhythm.
- Some features may be dictated by the brief (eg. 3/4 time for a waltz, or use of 12 bar blues for a blues song).
- Composers can follow stylistic conventions closely or adapt them creatively to make their music more original.
- Making clear stylistic decisions early on helps ensure the composition sounds coherent and convincing.
Keywords
Genre - a category of music with shared charcteristics
Stylistic convention - a common musical feature that is typical of a particular genre or period
Instrumentation - the combination of musical instruments used in a piece of music
Structure - the way the music is organised
Common misconception
Pupils may sometimes feel that it is cheating to use genre specific conventions, imagining that every idea must be wholely original.
All composers will consider elements of genre specific conventions when composing, even if it is to work against them. Using musical ideas that are familiar to a genre can help establish style and provide a good creative starting point.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to research genre specific conventions first, by listening to music from the genre to see what features they can identify themselves, and then researching further if needed.
Equipment
Pupils may need access to notation software or a DAW. They may need access to their instruments to develop ideas.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What is a musical genre?
Q2.What is a chord sequence?
Q3.What is meant by “structure” in music?
Q4.Which of the following might be influenced by a piece of music's genre?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What is a stylistic convention?
Q2.Why is it useful to understand genre specific conventions when composing?
Q3.Which of the following might be dictated by a composition brief?
Q4.What is one way a composer can be creative with genre conventions?
To help you plan your 11 music lesson on: Genre specific considerations, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 music lesson on: Genre specific considerations, 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: creative starting points unit, dive into the full secondary music curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.