Exam style practice questions suitable for homework and revision
Focus: Developing students’ confidence and skill when improvising as part of an ensemble, building on their existing harmonic understanding using extension chords, and the handling of expressive dissonance. It’s also about capturing the rhythmic swagger of shuffle rhythms and the freedom of the swung beat. Resources include teaching materials, student exercises, progress and assessment tools, 'do now' tasks and supporting teacher notes.
Chord inversions and the approach to a perfect cadence. Voicing stand-alone chord inversions, and exercises exploring good part writing in approach chord and perfect cadence combinations.
Ten questions with a score fragment and embedded clip, exploring the timbres of trombone, clarinet, trumpet and double bass, the role of different instrument in context, melody and accompaniment, syncopation, harmony, tempo, pentatonicism, conjunct and disjunct melodic movement, aural and visual comparison.
Ten questions with a score fragment and embedded clip, exploring minim and quaver note values, conjunct and disjunct melodic movement, tempo, harmony, solo and unison textures, number of different pitches, orchestral timbres.
Focus: Building on the foundations of melodic and harmonic knowledge established in year 7, this unit explores balanced phrasing and its relationship with functional harmony. Alongside performing, and analytical listening, students' musical understanding is developed through improvising and composing, using both set 'recipe' tasks and creative discovery. Resources include teaching materials, student exercises, progress and assessment tools, 'do now' tasks and supporting teacher notes.
Following on from 'Tutti', this resource explores individual timbres including the use of mutes, playing techniques, and the varying roles brass instruments play in an orchestra. Could be used as a stand-alone lesson, integrated into existing teaching materials, as a follow-up homework, or in 'do now' tasks. Also handy for GCSE revision of instrument timbres, playing techniques and articulation.
Following on from 'Tutti', this resource focuses on the string section, exploring playing techniques, articulation and string section layouts within the orchestra. Could be used as a stand-alone lesson, integrated into existing teaching materials, as a follow-up homework, or in 'do now' tasks. Also handy for GCSE revision of instrument timbres, playing techniques and articulation.
Listening resource suitable for the early stages of learning about the symphony orchestra, featuring key language, orchestral families, standard orchestral layouts, role of the conductor, roles of the ensemble performer, deployment of forces in context. Could be used as a whole lesson, integrated into existing teaching materials, as a follow-up homework, in 'do now' tasks, or before a trip to hear a live orchestra for the first time.
Following on from 'Tutti', this resource focuses on the woodwind section, exploring playing techniques and articulation, practising the recognition of reedless, single and double reed timbres. Could be used as a stand-alone lesson, integrated into existing teaching materials, as a follow-up homework, or in 'do now' tasks. Also handy for GCSE revision of instrument timbres, playing techniques and articulation.
