Music
MUSIC AT KING ECGBERT SCHOOL
KEY STAGE 3
Students study the elements of music: Pitch, Duration, Tempo, Dynamics, Timbre and Structure through a variety of tasks including: Performance, Composition and Listening & Appraising.
Each class in Year 7,8 and 9 have one period a week in music. The curriculum is supported by a wide range of extra-curriculr activities both at lunchtime and after school. The department also have a number of visiting peripatetic staff on hand to teach individual lessons (strings, brass, woodwind, percussion, piano vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drum kit and ukulele).
In Year 7 students cover a number of topics including: performing and composing on keyboard, rhythm work, world music, graphic scores, playing the ukulele, programme music and instruments of the orchestra.
In Year 8 students cover a number of topics including: Jazz and Blues, Rap music, Chord structures, Music in the 1950's and 60's and the Beatles.
In Year 9 students cover a number of topics including: Ground Bass, Theme and Variations, Arrangements, Film Music, Reggae, Music for a special occasion and the popular song.
MUSIC GCSE
Students who currently opt to study music at GCSE follow the AQA Music 4272 syllabus. Students are examined in three areas; performance (both solo and ensemble), composition ( 2 controlled assesments and a written paper) and in a Listening and Appraising Exam.
Year | Half term | Topics covered |
7 | 1 |
Building Bricks: Pupils learn about Pitch, Dynamics, Duration, Tempo, Texture, Timbre or Sonority, Articulation and Silence and are introduced to Graphic Notation and Graphic Scores. |
2 |
Rhythm and Pulse: This unit develops pupils’ awareness of the importance of pulse as a fundamental upon which music is built and performed. |
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3 |
Ladders/Scales: This unit is all about Scales! Pupils begin with the Pentatonic scale and learn and explore this through activities of listening, performing, composing and improvising. |
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4 |
Chinese Music: This links directly with the previous scheme due to the Pentatonic element. |
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5 |
Instruments of the Orchestra and Programme Music: This unit develops pupils’ understanding about orchestral instruments and families/sections of orchestral instruments. |
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6 |
Hooks and Riffs: This unit explores music based on repeated musical patterns through the genres of Popular Music (Hooks and Riffs) and Music from the Western Classical Tradition (Ostinatos). |
Year | Half term | Topics covered |
8 | 1 |
Jazz and Blues: This unit develops pupils’ understanding of bass lines and chords as a harmonic foundation upon which a melody can be constructed and as a foundation for improvisation. |
2 |
Rock ‘n’ Roll (1950’s) and Music of the 1960’s including the Beatles. This unit introduces pupils to the genre of Rock ‘n’ Roll and its emergence in the 1950’s. |
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3 |
African Music/Polyrhythms: This unit explores the main rhythmic musical features and devices used in African music. |
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4 |
Samba/use of polyrhythms and improvisation: The unit introduces the polyrhythmic style of Latin-American Samba and identifies its roots in African and Spanish/Portuguese music. |
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5 |
Variations: This unit develops pupils’ ability to recognise, explore and make creative use of the elements of music found in variation form. |
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6 |
Ground Bass: Pupils learn about the concept of Ground Bass, as a type of Variation Form. |
Year | Half term | Topics covered |
9 | 1 |
Film Music: This unit explores the challenges and musical devices used in film soundtrack composition. |
2 |
Reggae Music: This unit explores reggae music and the culture it comes from. After exploring that reggae music is one of a number of different styles of Caribbean music, pupils learn about the importance of bass lines in reggae music and how offbeat chords are a key feature of music of this genre. |
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3 |
Popular Song: In this unit, pupils explore the genre of popular song. Pupils learn about different musical devices used in popular songs. |
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4 |
Minimalism: This unit develops pupils’ understanding of polyrhythmic music and contemporary minimalist styles. |
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5 |
Musicals: This unit explores songs and music from the stage, beginning with an exploration into “What makes up a musical?” |
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6 |
Fanfares – Music for a Special Occasion: This unit begins by exploring the history, origins and various uses of Fanfares. |
Year | Half term | Topics covered |
10 | 1 | Intro lesson on all A05 |
2 | Rhythm and metre, Harmony and Tonality | |
3 | Texture and melody, Timbre and dynamics, Structure and form | |
4 | Western classic traditional | |
5 | Popular music | |
6 | World music |
Year | Half term | Topics covered |
11 | 1 | World music, Caribbean, African, Indian |
2 | Performance skills, Solo and ensemble | |
3 | Recap/Revision of A05 | |
4 | Recap/Revision | |
5 | Revision for listening paper | |
Exam leave |