Topic title: Bass riffs
Year group: 8
When taught: September to October half term
What are we learning?
- How to play famous bass riffs
- What makes a successful bass riff
- How to compose an effective bass riff
- How to describe the movement of a bass riff
- Pupils will either reconfirm their knowledge of notation in the treble clef or learn how to read the notes in the bass clef.
- Pupils will expand their knowledge of the keyboard and available notes with the introduction and expansion of their knowledge and use of accidentals (sharps and flats)
Why is this important to know?
- Bass riffs are a key component of music from the Baroque era to all modern musical styles.
- It develops pupils’ abilities on the keyboard, with particular emphasis on developing playing with their left hand
- It helps students to understand how to use repetition and variety within creating an effective piece of music
- It allows pupils to read more complex music from notation
- Learning about accidentals allows pupils to play pieces in a variety of keys and play pieces with more overall complexity.
Where does this link into our past and future learning?
- This links to learning in year 7 by developing keyboard skills, reiterating notation skills and adding new additions to this, building on pupils dexterity on the keyboard and reiterating and adding to our vocabulary to describe the pieces we are playing.
- Our next topic looks at The Blues. In this topic we learn about playing chords in the left hand, for those where they have previously mastered the treble clef we will be using the bass clef again in this topic to develop their notation reading. We will also be learning to play the specific type of bassline known as the walking bass. This involves left hand dexterity and using accidentals in playing and reading.
- In Year 8 and beyond we focus on building pupils skills toward playing multiple parts at the same time, both on the keyboard and other instruments, individually and as part of an ensemble.
How will we be assessed on this topic?
- Pupils will be assessed on performance of a bass riff from a selection of difficulties.
- In the listening and appraising assessment pupils will be assessed on their ability to listen to and describe bass riffs, identifying pitches on the stave, identifying notes on the keyboard with a focus on the accidentals (sharps and flats)
What makes a strong piece of work in this topic? What are teachers hoping to see?
- Effective and accurate performance of a bass riff using the left hand.
- Confidently identifying how to describe the movement on a bass line.
What key words are there in this topic?
| Bass clef | The clef where low notes are written |
| Riff | A repeating musical idea |
| Conjunct | Notes immediately next to each other |
| Disjunct | Notes where there is a gap between them |
| Ascending | Going up in pitch |
| Descending | Going down in pitch |
| Sequence | An idea that repeats but starting on a new note |
| Walking bass | A bass line with one note played on each beat |
What can I try if I want to stretch and challenge myself on this topic?
- Have a go at playing the more complex basslines offered and even find examples in music you like to have a go at playing.
- Learning the notes on the stave in the bass clef, practicing reading this fluently.
- Practicing trying to play a bass riff with your left hand and chords or a melody in your right hand.
What wider reading can be done on this topic?
Using interactive websites such as the following to help with recall of the notes on the stave, both for treble and bass clefs.
Tonesavvy.com
Musictheory.net
Teoria.com
Supporting document/links:
