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Year 4 - Music

Practising a rhythmic accompaniment

Playing together: effective rehearsing as part of an ensemble

Unit Summary

In this unit, we explore effective ensemble rehearsal. Professional ensembles share their secrets for success when practising alone, in small groups and as a wider ensemble. Effective rehearsal strategies are then explicitly taught to the pupils and developed in our ensemble piece.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to practise a new rhythmic accompaniment and recognise strategies you can use to improve.

Key Notes

  • When practising, isolating the tricky parts to practise with purpose is a useful strategy to help us improve.
  • Slowing the tempo whilst practising is a useful strategy to help achieve rhythmic accuracy.
  • The rhythmic accompaniment plays an important role in an ensemble as it helps to keep everyone in time.
  • Counting-in will help set a steady tempo and help us maintain a steady pulse.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • practise: to deliberately make an effort to improve musical skills
  • tempo: the speed of the music - how fast or slow the music is played
  • 2-time: the organisation and feel of the beats as strong-weak
  • accompaniment: a musical part that supports the main melody or chant
  • rest: a silence in music for a certain amount of time

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • When we practise, we just need to repeat the music a few times.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

When practising, isolating the tricky parts to practise with purpose is a useful strategy to help us improve. Slowing the tempo whilst practising is a useful strategy to help achieve rhythmic accuracy.

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

to deliberately make an effort to improve musical skills.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: When we practise, we just need to repeat the music a few times. Correction: Thinking about what we want to improve and choosing the best stragtegy to help us is the best way to practise.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 4 Music guide library.