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Year 8 - Music

Developing fluency in changing hand positions on the keyboard

Minor, major and developing keyboard skills

Unit Summary

This unit introduces major and minor scales and explores what makes music distinctive and memorable. Pupils develop keyboard technique and rehearsal strateiges, learning more complex melodic lines with accidentals and varied articulation.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to perform a piece with two independent parts demonstrating expressive elements.

Key Notes

  • The accompaniment part outlines the harmony of a piece.
  • The accompaniment pattern in In the Hall of the Mountain King pattern plays the root and fith of the chord.
  • Performing appropriate accents in the melody.
  • Refining our performance, considering expression, including dynamic changes from piano to forte with a crescendo.
  • Developing fluency in hand position changes and performing two independent parts in the right and left hand.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • accent: an emphasis on a note
  • piano: a dynamic instruction meaning to play quietly
  • forte: a dynamic instruction meaning to play loudly
  • crescendo: gradually getting louder
  • fifth: the fifth note of the scale and the top note in a chord triad

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The accompaniment patterns for section A and section B are the same and the best way to practise is to play from the start to the end of the piece repeatedly.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

The accompaniment part outlines the harmony of a piece. The accompaniment pattern in In the Hall of the Mountain King pattern plays the root and fith of the chord.

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

an emphasis on a note.

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: The accompaniment patterns for section A and section B are the same and the best way to practise is to play from the start to the end of the piece repeatedly. Correction: The accompaniment pattern changes slightly in section B. Highlight the difference so pupils are sure of this when practising hands together. It's more efficient to identify and practise the difficult bars in isolation first.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 8 Music guide library.