ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

ST JOHNs RC SCHOOL
MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Year 7
Key Skills
Name ________________________________
Class _____________
Teacher ____________________________________
(September 2011)

ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

Music Department Questionnaire

1. Which primary school did you attend? ______________________

2. What music have you heard live?

_____________________________________________________
3. Do you play an instrument? ____________
If so what? ___________________
How long have you been playing the instrument? __________
Please list any examinations taken___________________
4. If you had a choice, which instrument would you most like to learn to
play? (Saxophone, violin, clarinet, keyboard, trumpet, trombone, flute,
drums etc) ________________________
Why?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

5. Have you performed in a Band, Choir or Orchestra? If so which one?

_________________________________________________________

ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

THE ELEMENTS OF MUSIC

DYNAMICS

Is the volume of the music loud or soft?

TEMPO

Is the pace / speed of the music fast or slow?

TEXTURE

Is the music thick or thin?

How many instruments / voices can be heard?
Are there a lot of instruments playing at once or only a few?

PITCH

Is it a high or low sound?

TIMBRE

What is the sound / tone of the music like? The particular

sound of each instrument.
Eg. Bright trumpet, breathy flute, woody clarinet etc

DURATION

Is the sound long or short? How long does a sound last?

Allegro is fast and

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ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

Largo means slow

Remember these words
In Italian-o!

Piano is

quiet

and

Forte is loud!
Sing like Pavarotti
Strong and Proud!

Staccato is short and

Legato is

long

You wont forget as you

sing this song!

ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

QUESTION:

What is Music?

1.Think:
Think about it quietly by yourself.

2. Write:
Write some ideas of
your own.

3. Pair:
Talk with your partner
to find some new ideas.
Jot down a few.

Share:

Star any idea from above that you will share with the group.

ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

Sound....
You will be given five minutes to listen to sounds near to the music room, write down all of
the different sounds that you have identified on the brainstorm below.

SOUNDS

Write a short description of the sound you are hearing and tick if you think it is musical or
non-musical.
Sound

Sound Description

Musical

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Non- Musical

ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

Musical Vocabulary
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ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

Element

Meaning

Musical words
DynamicsAllegro
Tempo

Largo
Piano

Texture

Forte

Pitch Staccato
Dot

Legato
Crazy

Meaning

ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

Group names
______________________________________________________________
Composition task
You now have chance to really put yourself forward as both a composer and performer!
TASK: In groups of 4, compose and perform a short piece of music to highlight at least
two elements of music. (Pitch, Dynamics, Tempo, Texture.)

Your piece needs to last between 20 60 seconds.

You must compose your piece so that it is in 3 clear sections:
Beginning section waiting in the queue....
Middle section Up, up and away..........
End section back down to earth.

TIP: Try to get 3 contrasting sections.

The Brief:
You are on a school trip at Lightwater Valley Theme Park, and have been in a queue for
45 minutes to ride the Longest Roller Coaster in the World THE ULTIMATE.
At last your turn has come!.......You get in the front seat and off you go!.........After that
long, slow climb up to the top YOURE AWAY!!
The 2 elements we
have used in our
Texture
Dynamics
Tempo
Pitch
composition are:
Ideas
Beginning

In the opening section, the

dynamics/tempo/Texture/Pitch
were _____________________
because: ______________________
______________________________

Middle

In the middle section, the

dynamics/tempo/Texture/Pitch
were _____________________
because: ______________________
______________________________
In the final section, the
dynamics/tempo/Texture/Pitch
were _____________________
because: ______________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________

Ending

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ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

Listening and Describing Music

DATE: _______________________

TITLE: ________________________________________

STYLE: ______________________

COMPOSER: __________________________________

Describe what you are hearing......

The Dynamics:

__________________________________________

The Tempo:

___________________________________________

The Texture:

___________________________________________

The Pitch:

___________________________________________

Any other comments? E.g. Instruments, mood, atmosphere.......

__________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose/occasion (what is the music used for?)_____________________________________________
Did you like this piece of music? ________ Why? ___________________________________

DATE: _______________________

TITLE: ________________________________________

STYLE: ______________________

COMPOSER: __________________________________

Describe what you are hearing......

The Dynamics:

__________________________________________

The Tempo:

___________________________________________

The Texture:

___________________________________________

The Pitch:

___________________________________________

Any other comments? E.g. Instruments, mood, atmosphere.......

__________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose/occasion (what is the music used for?)_____________________________________________
Did you like this piece of music? ________ Why? ___________________________________
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ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

Listening and Describing Music

DATE: _______________________

TITLE: ________________________________________

STYLE: ______________________

COMPOSER: __________________________________

Describe what you are hearing......

The Dynamics:

__________________________________________

The Tempo:

___________________________________________

The Texture:

___________________________________________

The Pitch:

___________________________________________

Any other comments? E.g. Instruments, mood, atmosphere.......

__________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose/occasion (what is the music used for?)_____________________________________________
Did you like this piece of music? ________ Why? ___________________________________

DATE: _______________________

TITLE: ________________________________________

STYLE: ______________________

COMPOSER: __________________________________

Describe what you are hearing......

The Dynamics:

__________________________________________

The Tempo:

___________________________________________

The Texture:

___________________________________________

The Pitch:

___________________________________________

Any other comments? E.g. Instruments, mood, atmosphere.......

__________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose/occasion (what is the music used for?)_____________________________________________
Did you like this piece of music? ________ Why? ___________________________________
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ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

Listening Assessment Task

DATE: _______________________

TITLE: ________________________________________

STYLE: ______________________

COMPOSER: __________________________________

Describe what you are hearing......

The Dynamics:

__________________________________________(1)

The Tempo:

___________________________________________(1)

The Texture:

___________________________________________(1)

The Pitch:

___________________________________________(1)

Make a comment on the mood and atmosphere of this music

________________________________________________________________________________(1)
Purpose/occasion (what is the music used for?)___________________________________________(1)
Did you like this piece of music? ________ Why? ___________________________________(1)

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ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

Graphic Score Listening

Music example 1 = ______________________________

Music Example 2 = ______________________________
Music Example 3 = ______________________________
Music Example 4 = _____________________________

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ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

Level and description

They perform significant
parts using notation.

Success Criteria
Teacher assessment
write some of my ideas down in musical
notation

They have an awareness of

their own contribution such
as leading others or taking a
solo part.

Lead others during a performance

Suggest improvements to work using the
Musical Elements

They suggest
improvements to their own
and others work,
commenting on how
intentions have been
achieved.

I can:
Suggest improvements to my groups work
I can:
Discuss some of the main Musical Elements in my
group:
(Tick the elements you have discussed)
Pitch
Tempo
Dynamics
Texture
I can:

They can compose by

developing ideas within
musical structures.

Work as part of a group to produce:

A beginning section
A Middle Section
An Ending

I can use instruments to create music that reflects

Pupils identify and explore different moods.
the relationship between
I can:
sounds and how music
Pick a suitable speed for my performance
reflects different intentions.
Change the volume to make it more interesting
Change the number of instruments used to
make it more interesting
Use high and low sounds to make it more
interesting
Assessment levels and Target setting

Target - To move to the next level I must:

Teacher Comments:
Do you know your musical
elements?
___________________________________
_______________________________________
___________________________________ 15 _______________________________________
___________________________________
_______________________________________
___________________________________
_______________________________________

ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

HOMEWORK 1
In the table below, draw a shape, character or sketch to illustrate each word as best
you can.
Tempo

Allegro

Largo
Dynamics

Forte

Piano
Texture

Legato

Staccato

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ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

HOMEWORK 2

Elements of Music
Name

Form

Music is made up of many different things called Elements. They are

the building bricks of music. When you compose a piece of music you
use the elements of music to build it. If the piece of music is to sound
right, then you have to use the elements correctly.
Answer the following questions by filling in the gaps using the words
provided
1. _____________ means the highness or lowness of the sound.
2. _____________ means the fastness or slowness of the music.
3. _____________ means the loudness or softness of the music.
4. _____________ means the length of each sound.
5. ____________________________ means the way the sound starts and stops.
6. If all the instruments are playing at once then the ______________is thick.
If only one instrument is playing then it is thin.
7. _____________ is the opposite of sound.
8. _____________ is the word given to each instruments own tone colour.
Silence

Pitch

Attack and Decay

Duration

Dynamics

Timbre

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ST JOHNS CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM CENTRE

Texture

Tempo

HOMEWORK 3

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