Instruments in Music
The pictures show the use of instruments across the school. In different year groups, children have been learning the recorders and keyboards as well untuned percussion in whole class ensembles. In addition to learning to apply their knowledge of music theory, they have been learning specific techniques such as fingering, hand positions, dynamics and control of sound.
Making Sounds in Nursery
In Nursery, children have enjoyed exploring the sounds of a range of instruments. They have leant if sounds are loud or quiet, high pitched or low pitched and used different words to describe the sounds of different instruments. They enjoyed hearing the sounds of hidden instruments and guessing which instrument is making the sound. This was modelled by the teacher and then played by the children independently.
Bolero in Year 2
In Year 2, children have been learning to apply their knowledge of rhythm to play excerpts of Ravel’s Bolero as a whole class ensemble. They used body percussion to explore the pitch of the rhythm in the piece and then chose appropriate untuned percussion instruments to perform both rhythms at the same time. They used shapes as symbols to keep their rhythms in time. They then listened to a performance of Bolero to understand how these rhythms are used to compose large orchestral pieces.
iPad Keyboards in Year 4
In Year 4, children have been learning to play the keyboards by identifying the pattern of groups of 2 and 3 black notes to find the note names. They have been using the garageband keyboards to enable them to record, evaluate and improve what they have learnt to play. They also learnt about dotted rhythms and using the black notes as part of the key signature.
Playing Keyboards in Year 6
In Year 6, children have been learning to play keyboards and developing their music reading skills. They have learnt about the importance of hand positions and fingering and making sure they can fluently play a melody by making sure they decide which finger will play each notes. They enjoyed playing a whole class performance in time and with the correct notes and rhythms.