Year 8 - Music
Performing an extended melody in unison
Year 8 song guides
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Study Guides
This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
The song guides cover a diverse selection of songs, designed to develop vocal technique, musical expression and ensemble skills, and building confidence and musical literacy. They can be broken down across multiple lessons to integrate them into the sequence, but can also be taught as full lessons.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to sing the melody of Follow you in a unison texture, focusing on tone quality and accuracy of ensemble.
Key Notes
- Humming can help warm up the vocal cords, develop voice resonance and reduce tension
- Pop songs often have an overall texture of melody and accompaniment
- Tone quality in group singing relies on good breathing and listening to blend the sounds
- Syncopated rhythms in slower music can help the music to have a laid-back feel
- Singing Follow Me in unison, focussing on quality of tone and accuracy of ensemble
Vocabulary To Learn
- unison: the name given to music where everyone sings the same pitch at the same time
- anacrusis: the opening note or notes of a phrase which starts before the first beat of the bar (also called a pickup)
- syncopation:: a rhythm which emphasises (accents) notes in between the main beats, often referred to as off-beat rhythms
- texture: the layers of instrumental or vocal sounds and how they fit together
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Syncopation always makes music sound more energetic and driving.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Humming can help warm up the vocal cords, develop voice resonance and reduce tension. Pop songs often have an overall texture of melody and accompaniment.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'unison'
the name given to music where everyone sings the same pitch at the same time.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Syncopation always makes music sound more energetic and driving. Correction: Syncopation can make a piece feel laid back by relaxing the timing to give a 'behind the beat' effect. Syncopated rhythms often leave gaps between sounds, which can make the groove feel more spacious and less rushed.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 8 Music guide library.