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Year 6 - Music

Playing a minor pentatonic jazz melody

Compose and rehearse: improvising with the minor pentatonic scale

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils listen to improvisation in jazz ensembles. Using the minor pentatonic scale on pitched percussion, they learn a minor pentatonic melody and practise tools to guide successful improvisation including repetition and sequencing.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to play the main melody (head) of a jazz piece with accuracy and a steady pulse.

Key Notes

  • The head is a term used when referring to the main theme in jazz music.
  • The head is played by the whole ensemble then followed by individual improvisations.
  • Chunking up a melody can help make it easier to learn.
  • A song that uses the D minor pentatonic scale will have phrases that revolve around the note D.
  • When playing barred instruments, focus on how you play the instrument; for example striking the bar right in the centre.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • head: a term for the main melody or theme in jazz music
  • phrase: a musical thought, like a sentence in a story
  • bar: a measure of musical time with a set number of beats (e.g. 4 beats in 4-time)
  • note: a single sound in music

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The best way to learn to play a piece is to start at the beginning.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

The head is a term used when referring to the main theme in jazz music. The head is played by the whole ensemble then followed by individual improvisations.

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

a term for the main melody or theme in jazz music.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: The best way to learn to play a piece is to start at the beginning. Correction: We can be clever when learning pieces, looking for patterns and easy parts to fit together first whilst internalising the sounds of trickier parts.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 6 Music guide library.