Year 3 - Music
Melodic ostinato accompaniments to songs
Playing together: building texture with melody, drone and ostinato
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
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 melodic ostinato.
Key Notes
- An ostinato can make a tune more memorable.
- A small number of notes can make an effective ostinato.
- Adding an ostinato layer to a piece makes the texture thicker.
- Feeling the steady pulse helps us play our ostinato at the right tempo, and sing and play together as an ensemble.
Vocabulary To Learn
- ostinato: a repeating musical pattern that can be rhythmic or melodic
- texture: the combination of different layers of sounds
- ensemble: a group of people who perform together
- pulse: the regular steady heartbeat of the music
- tempo: how fast or slow the music is played
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- An ostinato is a rhythm pattern only.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
An ostinato can make a tune more memorable. A small number of notes can make an effective ostinato.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'ostinato'
a repeating musical pattern that can be rhythmic or melodic.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: An ostinato is a rhythm pattern only. Correction: An ostinato can be melodic as well as rhythmic. In pop music they're often called a 'riff' and in electronic music, a 'loop'. A repeated pattern can add to the texture of a piece of music and help drive it forward.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Drone accompaniments to songs Study Guide
- Identifying different layers of accompaniment within a piece of music Study Guide
- Layering simple accompaniments to create a thicker texture Study Guide
- Playing a melodic ostinato and singing simultaneously Study Guide
- Rehearsing songs with layers of instrumental accompaniments Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 3 Music guide library.