Study Hub

Study Guides

This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.

Back to Study HubBrowse Year 3 Music Guides

Year 3 - Music

Playing a melodic ostinato and singing simultaneously

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 play a melodic ostinato whilst singing at the same time.

Key Notes

  • An effective ostinato can be played on two or three notes.
  • Feeling the steady pulse helps us to play and sing in time together.
  • knowing each part really well helps us to play and sing them simultaneously.
  • With practice, we can sing a different tune to what we're playing.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • simultaneously: at the same time
  • pulse: the regular steady heartbeat of the music
  • ostinato: a repeating musical pattern that can be rhythmic or melodic
  • tempo: the speed of the music - how fast or slow the music is played
  • conductor: a person who directs the performance of an ensemble

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • We play the same tune as what we're singing.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

An effective ostinato can be played on two or three notes. Feeling the steady pulse helps us to play and sing in time together.

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

at the same time.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: We play the same tune as what we're singing. Correction: A melodic ostinato can add more interest to the overall sound and, with practice, we can play a different tune to the one we're singing.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 3 Music guide library.