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Year 3 - Music

Layering simple accompaniments to create a thicker texture

Playing together: building texture with melody, drone and ostinato

Unit Summary

In this unit, we build the texture in our songs by adding a drone and melodic ostinato. Our focus is on how we rehearse and play together as an ensemble. The songs and instrumental accompaniments are taught through listening, practising and memorising.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to add to the texture of a song by playing a simple ostinato.

Key Notes

  • We can hear the texture become thicker as each layer of sound is added one at a time.
  • Adding instruments with different timbres can make the texture more interesting.
  • We can layer riffs or ostinati to make the texture thicker as an accompaniment to our songs.
  • Feeling the steady pulse helps us to play different layers of sound in time together.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • texture: the combination of different layers of sounds
  • pulse: the regular steady heartbeat of the music
  • riff: a word used in pop music to describea repeating musical pattern
  • timbre: a description of the sound or tone of an instrument or voice
  • ostinato: a repeating musical pattern that can be rhythmic or melodic

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • We can only play one ostinato at a time.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

We can hear the texture become thicker as each layer of sound is added one at a time. Adding instruments with different timbres can make the texture more interesting.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'texture'

the combination of different layers of sounds.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: We can only play one ostinato at a time. Correction: We can have two or more groups playing two or more ostinati that can fit together when played to a steady pulse. By playing rhythms on instruments with different timbres, and adding tuned percussion, we change the sound and thickness of the texture.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 3 Music guide library.