Taking a theme, motif or chord progression and finding ways to vary it has always been a foundation of composition, and it’s not just in ‘classical’ music that we find examples – variations can change...
Simon Rushby Teaching Materials
It can take many hours to create and refine a piece, but who realistically has 10+ hours in their KS3 curriculum to give over entirely to a composition? Then there’s also the question of whether we...
Dice Wood Teaching Materials
Last month we looked at how sonata form evolved from Baroque musical structures to become a staple of the Classical period. Its three-part plan became the common form for the first movements of...
Simon Rushby KS 4
US composer Terry Riley and minimalism are included as suggested listening in several exam boards’ specifications. But there are several other reasons why studying Terry Riley might be worthwhile for...
David Kettle KS 4
Teaching KS3 and KS4 music involves the continual need to find ways to make sense out of music for our students. Our scant two-page KS3 national curriculum gives us the freedom to do this as we...
Jane Werry Teaching Materials
In May 2024, we looked at short, bankable activities for KS3 that would set the composition ball rolling. As a follow-up, this resource will explore the next steps, looking at ways for your students...
Richard Barnard Teaching Materials
Though it developed out of binary form, sonata form is more like ternary form in the way that it presents thematic material, so a review of last month’s resource would be helpful to support students’...
Simon Rushby Teaching Materials
Whether you’re an adult teacher navigating the complexities of daily life, or a child student exploring the world around you, singing is a surprisingly effective tool for enhancing mental health and...
Jenna Brown Health & Wellbeing
What exactly is wider listening? And what is its purpose? We use related music to strengthen our students’ understanding of the music they’re required to study as part of the specific course they’re...
David Guinane Secondary
Just as a building needs plans and a journey needs a route, all music needs to have some sort of structure. Certain recognised structures crop up frequently in musical compositions, and two of the...
Simon Rushby Secondary
In this resource, we’ll see how minimalism began and quickly took hold, look at the music of its most prominent composers, and find out how it infiltrated the musical style of some notable pop artists...
Simon Rushby Composition
There are many existing resources for Haydn’s Symphony No. 104, including Eduqas’s own excellent teacher guides and a whole array of YouTube videos. This resource is a detailed breakdown of teaching...
Jane Werry Teaching Materials