Topic title: The Voice and Keyboard Skills
Year group: 7
When taught: September to October half term
What are we learning?
• The key elements of music. These are known by the acronym MADTSHIRT. These words are: Melody, Articulation, Dynamics, Texture, Structure, Harmony, Instrumentation, Rhythm and Timbre.
• How to sing together – looking at singing in unison and in rounds.
• Why we sing – How singing improves your mental and physical health along with the developments in your brain that singing can create.
• Keyboard skills. These include; the notes on the keyboard; how to use your hands correctly at the keyboard and how to make chords to accompany yourself when singing.
• How to work towards the physical skill of accompanying yourself on the keyboard.
• Learning how to use Garage band on the Mac computers.
Why is this important to know?
• It introduces the vocabulary we will use to describe all music. It allows us to discuss in detail how and why a piece of music is successful.
• Singing is a key part of the music curriculum, it is a free and accessible musical instrument that allows us to interact with others.
• The keyboard is the main medium within the music industry for composition and working with music technology.
• Music production and composition are key areas of the music industry. As one of the largest grossing industries in the UK, understanding how to use music technology and inputting using keyboards opens up the beginnings of this industry to pupils.
Where does this link into our past and future learning?
• As out first topic at KS3 this accesses skills pupils are likely to have used at primary school (singing) and helps them build on this with confidence.
• The keyboard skills help to prepare us for our future skills development for year 7 and beyond.
• Our next topic looks specifically at pitch notation, and melodic playing and composing on the keyboards.
• In Year 8 and beyond we use both keyboards and voice frequently for performing in a variety of styles.
• This topic introduces the language used in all future music assessments that use listening and appraising.
How will we be assessed on this topic?
• This topic is assessed with a performance practical using both singing and the keyboard. It is also tested with a listening and appraising test covering the key vocabulary (MADTSHIRT) and identifying features of the singing and keyboard skills we have learned this topic.
What makes a strong piece of work in this topic? What are teachers hoping to see?
• Being able to use to perform with confidence and accuracy.
• Using the correct key terms to describe what a musical element is doing
• Please see the attached documents for more information.
What key words are there in this topic?
Melody – the tune. We use the words, ascending, descending, conjunct, disjunct and repetition to describe it
Articulation – are the ideas played in a smooth or detached way
Dynamics – Volume
Texture – How many layers of sound are heard. We also describe this as thick or thin
Structure – the order we hear our musical ideas in
Harmony – two or more notes heard at the same time. We discuss chords in this category.
Instrumentation – The instruments you can hear and what each one is doing
Rhythm – the pattern made from the lengths of the notes
Timbre – how we describe the different qualities of each musical sound
What can I try if I want to stretch and challenge myself on this topic?
• Have a go at using the musical elements to describe music pieces you like to listen to.
• Find some pieces you would like to learn to play. Look up the name of the piece with the word ‘chords’ afterwards. Can you try to play these chords along to a recording or to accompany yourself. Ask us if you need help knowing which notes are in each type of chord.
• Practice your singing. Find songs you love and sing along to them.
• Join choir! This is a fantastic way to improve your singing, trying new pieces, styles and techniques.
What wider reading can be done on this topic?
• Signing up for Duolingo music. This is free and can be used on any touchscreen device.
• Using the games on musictechteacher.com to help with learning the notes on the keyboard
Supporting document/links:
The voice keywords and assessment document
Support sheet for KS3 books
