BerkswichCE Primary School
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The main concepts that thread through our music curriculum
A Visual Representation of Our Music Curriculum
This visual below is used by teachers and children to show how the aims of the curriculum are met (aims are summarised in the centre circles). We recognise the interconnected nature of the elements in music (shown at the bottom of the circle) and the way in which they also weave throughout all of the concepts and ideas in music shown around the top of the circle. These interconnected elements (dimensions) of music and concepts are revisited in progressive contexts in every unit; for example, a developing understanding of ‘structure’ enables children to compose more skilfully and interpret and appreciate great classics from the past. Although not in itself a concept, vocabulary has been added as this underpins a child’s ability to use, express and understand musical ideas and evaluate meaningfully – a highly valued aspect of our music curriculum.
EYFS and Key Stage One (Nursery to Year Two)
Please scroll down to view the pdf versions used by the children.
Throughout our music units and lessons we will be learning about and using the connected elements (dimensions) of music. These will be visited again and again to help us to understand how music is created and how it can brilliantly show ideas and feelings.
| Connected elements of music | |
Duration | Ü Ü | The length of time each note is played for. Is it played for a long or short time? |
Pitch | Ü Ü | The pitch of a sound is how high or low the sound is. A high sound has a high pitch and a low sound has a low pitch. |
Dynamics | Ü Ü Ü | The is to do with the volume of the music. Is it loud or quiet? Musicians will play a part quietly or loudly to make the listener to feel a particular way |
Timbre | Ü Ü Ü | This is the quality of sound. For example, it could be smooth, soft or rough. Timbres can change the feel and mood of the music. |
Structure | Ü Ü | This is about how the music is organised into different parts or sections. For example, a song can have verses with choruses in between. |
Texture | Ü Ü | This is about how many layers of sound the music has. Texture can be thick or thin. |
Tempo | Ü Ü Ü | This is to do with the speed of the music. Is it fast? Is it slow? It is important to play at the same tempo when playing with others. |
The elements of music are important parts of performing, listening, composing and learning about the history of music.
Performing
| We will learn more performance skills and help everyone to improve and grow in confidence. We will keep improving our voice as an instrument. We will perform in front of audiences. |
Listening and judging
| We will listen to our music and the music made by others. We will think carefully about it and use this to understand it more and make improvements to our own pieces. |
Vocabulary
| We will learn music vocabulary in every unit to use now and in the future to communicate our ideas. We will use the elements of music to talk clearly about the music that we listen to and play. |
Composing
| We use the elements of music to help us to understand and to make (compose) our own music. We will learn ways of writing this down and learn to follow musical notation (written down music). |
The history of music
| We will listen and think carefully about music across a range of historical periods, styles and traditions. There will be so much to enjoy! |
Key Stage Two (Year Three to Year Six)
Please scroll down to view the pdf versions used by the children.
Throughout our music units and lessons we will be learning about, and using, the interconnected elements (dimensions) of music. These will be visited again and again to help us to understand how music is created and how it can communicate ideas and feeling effectively.
| The Interconnected Elements (Dimensions) of Music | |
Duration
| Ü Ü | The length of the beats making up the music. In a melody, notes are played for different lengths of time (durations). |
Pitch | Ü Ü | The pitch of a sound is how high or low the sound is. This is to do with how tight or loose the sound waves are. |
Dynamics | Ü
Ü | The is to do with the volume of the music and it can affect the way the listener feels. For example, it could be loud (forte), medium quiet (mezzo piano) or soft (piano). It can go from quiet to loud (crescendo) or loud to quiet (diminuendo). |
Timbre | Ü
Ü | This is the quality of sound of an instrument. For example, a flute can be light, smooth and airy. A saxophone can be smooth, rich and full. Instruments in the same family can have different timbres. Timbres can affect the mood of the music. |
Structure | Ü Ü | This is about how the music is organised into different sections. Structure is the order in which different sections of a piece of music are played; this can be represented by letters (e.g. ABAB or ABABC). |
Texture | Ü Ü Ü | This is about how many layers of sound the music has. Texture can be thick or thin, busy or sparse, and so on. Texture depends on how many instruments there are, the timbre of the instruments playing and how many different parts there are at the same time. |
Tempo | Ü
Ü | This is how fast the music is. Is it fast (allegro)? Is it slow (adagio)? Is it walking pace (andante)? Music can speed up (accel.) or slow down (rall. or rit.). In an orchestra, the conductor is responsible for keeping the musicians in tempo. |
The interconnected elements of music are important parts of performing, listening, composing and learning about the history of music.
Performing
| We will develop our performance skills and help others to become more confident and accurate through careful guidance. We will keep improving our voice as an instrument and learn to play the glockenspiel. We will perform in front of a variety of audiences inside and outside of school. |
Listening, reviewing and analysing
| We will listen to our music and the music made by others. We use the elements of music to understand music more and to use our listening skills to make improvements to our own compositions and performances. |
Vocabulary
| In every unit, we will increase our knowledge and use of music vocabulary to communicate our ideas and responses to the music that we listen to and play. |
Composing
| We use the interconnected elements of music to help us to understand music and compose our own. We will learn ways of writing musical ideas down and learn how to follow musical notation. |
The history of music
| We will listen to, and think carefully about, music across a range of historical periods, styles and traditions - there will be so much to enjoy Listening will help us in our compositions and evaluations. |
To learn more about our learning journeys and where these key ideas and concepts are seen throughout the learning, please click here.
To find out more about our intent for the music curriculum, the music policy and overviews with summaries of each unit across school, please return to the music home page.