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Resources for teaching Music in the classroom.
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Resources for teaching Music in the classroom.
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Composing exercise BUNDLE 1
In this bundle of 5 exercises you will find tasks for your students to enable them to:
create fluency
compose melodies over given chord progressions
compose sequences
learn the ‘circle of 5ths’ progression
compose melodies that modulate
SAVE: by buying this bundle you’ll save £5 on the total price of buying each resource separately!!
Bundle
Composing exercise BUNDLE 3
In this bundle, you will find exercises for your students to enable them to:
create fluency using passing notes
compose melodies over given chord progressions
create harmony underneath a given melody
create a melody that works over a pedal note (great for film music and to build tension!)
compose interesting melodies with just a few notes
use the natural minor scale
SAVE: by buying this bundle you’ll save £5 on the total price of buying each resource separately!!
Bundle
Composing exercise BUNDLE 2
In this bundle, you will find exercises for your students to enable them to:
use the pentatonic scale
compose melodies over given chord progressions
create a Rock bassline
discover the Tango style and use the melodic minor scale
compose melodies that have a formal structure
SAVE: by buying this bundle you’ll save £5 on the total price of buying each resource separately!!
EDUQAS GCSE Music Sample Listening Paper 1
A sample 96-mark Listening Paper (Component 3) in line with the EDUQAS GCSE Music specification.
In this paper, students will answer questions on extracts including:
the set works: Bach ‘Badinerie’ and Toto ‘Africa’
Delibes’ ballet music
a Haydn string quartet
Jerome Kern’s famous song, ‘Pick yourself up’ in three versions
Film music from Spider-man: No way home by Michael Giacchino AND music from the film Chocolat by Rachel Portman
Lenny Kravitz’s ‘Are you gonna go my way?’
A comprehensive mark scheme is provided.
All audio tracks are provided after purchase via a Google Drive link.
Composing exercise: 'Classical' melody
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 to continue a ‘Classical’ style violin melody in D major from a given stimulus.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
EDUQAS GCSE Music Sample Listening Paper 2
A 96-mark full Listening Paper (Component 3) based on the EDUQAS GCSE Music specification.
In this paper, students will listen to excerpts of music including:
the set works: Bach ‘Badinerie’ and Toto ‘Africa’
orchestral music by Grieg
excerpts from the Musicals, ‘Oklahoma’ and ‘Cats’ (the latter performed by Taylor Swift)
a Mozart Piano Quintet
music from the film ‘Top Gun’ - the iconic ‘Take my breath away’ by Berlin
two versions to compare of the Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ (including one performed by Beyoncé’
A comprehensive mark scheme is included.
A link to the edited audio tracks for each is also made available for free.
Composing exercise: adding primary chords
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 based on adding primary chords to a given (diatonic) melody.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Composing exercise: longer melodies AABA
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 based on writing longer melodic structures. This one uses the pentatonic scale within the popular AABA form.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Please note: Focus on Sound users - this resource is accessible for free via your subscription under the Composing tab
Composing exercise: using fewer notes
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 based on creating a melody based on just a few notes at a time. You can start with just one note, and in subsequent attempts build up to more, using a minor pentatonic scale when you feel confident.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Please note: Focus on Sound users - this resource is accessible for free via your subscription under the Composing tab
Composing exercise: Reggae melody
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 based on writing a melody using a minor pentatonic scale over a Reggae style accompaniment.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Please note: Focus on Sound users - this resource is accessible for free via your subscription under the Composing tab
Composing exercise: melody over a pedal
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 to create a melody over a tonic pedal note using the notes of the natural minor scale / Aeolian mode.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Composing exercise: adding passing notes
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 based on adding passing notes to add fluency to melodic writing.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Composing exercise: Tango melody
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 based on the Argentine Tango. Create a melody over a given chord (and rhythm) pattern in D minor. A good introduction to using the chord of the Dominant 7th, too.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Please note: Focus on Sound users - this resource is accessible for free via your subscription under the Composing tab
Composing exercise: the Blues scale
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 based on using the Blues scale to compose a melody over chords with added 7ths.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Please note: Focus on Sound users - this resource is accessible for free via your subscription under the Composing tab
Composing exercise: circle of 5ths chords
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 based on creating a melody over the popular ‘circle of 5ths’ chord progression. This is also a good resource to encourage writing melodic sequences.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Please note: Focus on Sound users - this resource is accessible for free via your subscription under the Composing tab
Composing exercise: chord extensions
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 based on writing a melody over a chord progression containing ‘extended chords’ such as 7ths and 9ths. This exercise is in a ‘Bossa Nova’ style which is really fun to work with.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Please note: Focus on Sound users - this resource is accessible for free via your subscription under the Composing tab
Composing exercise: continuous quavers 1
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 based on writing a melody with continuous quavers. This is a really useful way to teach melodic shape and direction, and it includes a modulation to the dominant key, too.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Please note: Focus on Sound users - this resource is accessible for free via your subscription under the Composing tab
Composing exercise: continuous quavers 2
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 based on writing with continuous quavers. This includes a modulation from a dominant key back to the home key so is also useful for learning about key changes within composing exercises.
(See also: continuous quavers 1)
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Please note: Focus on Sound users - this resource is accessible for free via your subscription under the Composing tab
Composing resource: melody over chords
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 based on writing a melody over a given chord progression. This exercise uses the three primary chords I, IV and V in a major key. A suggested rhythm for the melody is also provided above the stave. The exercise also introduces the imperfect and perfect cadences.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Please note: Focus on Sound users - this resource is accessible for free via your subscription under the Composing tab
Composing exercise: Rock bassline
A short composing exercise for GCSE Year 9 or 10 on writing a bassline for a Rock song. The minor pentatonic scale is suggested for this exercise, which also features ‘Power chords’ in the guitar part.
Each resource contains:
Sibelius file
xml file (able to be opened in any other notation software)
mp3 file (for class performance or to upload into any DAW for backing track)
Please note: Focus on Sound users - this resource is accessible for free via your subscription under the Composing tab