Study Guides

Unit Summary

Pupils discover the power and versatility of the pentatonic scale. Pupils learn that pentatonic music is found around the world and sing pentatonic songs from every continent. A three-line simplified stave is used for notation. Pupils play and compose pentatonic melodies on tuned percussion.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to sing folk songs with accuracy of pitch and pulse.

Key Notes

• It is important to warm up before singing to protect our voice from injury and to develop our vocal strength.
• Folk songs come from all around the world, originating from a particular country, area or people.
• Folk songs are usually simple songs passed down by oral tradition.
• Developing a sound sense of pulse helps us to sing and play together.
• Body percussion can help us to identify and perform rhythm patterns accurately.

Vocabulary To Learn

• warm up: a sequence of exercises used to prepare the mind, body and voice for singing / playing instruments
• folk song: a song that originates from a particular country, culture or people that is usually passed down orally
• pulse: the regular, steady heartbeat of the music
• beat: the playing or showing of the steady pulse, like the ticking of a clock
• rhythm: the pattern of sounds that we play and sing

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Warming up is fun, but we don't need to warm up every time we practise our singing.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Composing a major pentatonic melody Study Guide
• Improvising a major pentatonic melody Study Guide
• Notating a dotted rhythm major pentatonic melody Study Guide
• Playing a dotted rhythm major pentatonic melody Study Guide
• Singing and identifying the major pentatonic scale Study Guide