Music

The music curriculum is taught progressively through three interrelated pillars:

• Technical
o Competence in controlling sound (instrumental, vocal or with music technology)
o Use of a communication system, such as staff notation or guitar tab
• Constructive
o Knowledge of the musical elements/interrelated dimensions of music
o Knowledge of the components of composition
• Expressive
o Musical quality
o Musical creativity
o Knowledge of musical meanings across the world and time
o Key concepts:
The pillars of music are developed through the curriculum which progressively builds pupils knowledge and skills of the following key concepts:
• Singing (developing pitch, melody, rhythm and control individually and as part of a group)
• Listening (exploring feelings and emotions in response to music, giving opinions, identifying instruments, structure, musical features)
• Composing (improvising, composing, notating: representing sounds through symbols, standard and non-standard notation)
• Performing (singing, playing instruments, individual and groups, practising, rehearsing, presenting, recording, evaluating)
• Musicianship (understanding music: pulse/beat/metre, rhythm, pitch/melody, tempo, dynamics, timbre, texture, structure/form)
Second order concepts:
The following second order concepts are also explored:
• Chronology (history of music and changes over time)
• Similarity and difference (comparing pieces of music, identifying common/different styles and techniques)
• Significance (significant composers, pieces of music and musical movements)
• Written, oral and creative expression: (Using musical terminology, responding, refining, describing, experimenting, exploring)
End points

By the end of key stage 2, pupils should be able to:

1. Play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices and playing musical instruments with increasing accuracy, fluency,
control and expression
2. Improvise and compose music for a range of purposes using the inter-related dimensions of music
3. Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
4. Use and understand staff and other musical notations
5. Appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great
composers and musicians
6. Develop an understanding of the history of music.

Pedagogy
A typical teaching sequence through a unit of work in music will include the following elements:
1. Listening and appraising activities
a. Familiarisation with the piece or genre being studied
b. Responding to the music and giving opinions
c. Identifying key elements, features and vocabulary
d. Identifying historical period and comparing / contrasting with other pieces
2. Musical activities
a. Warm up games
b. Singing activities
c. Playing instruments
d. Improvisation
e. Composition
3. Performing
a. Individual or group
b. Rehearsal
c. Performance
Progressive Objectives

Our progressive objectives show what pupils should know and be able to do in each aspect of music by the end of each year group. These are
used to support planning and the ongoing assessments of pupils’ work. The 3 pillars of music (technical, constructive, expressive) developed
through each strand.

All children in Year 4 take part in the widening opportunities programme led by the music service and have the opportunity to learn to play an
instrument.

Year Group

Singing
Learn and sing entire songs.
Sing the pitch of a tone sung by another person.
Sing the melody of familiar songs.
EYFS
Create their own songs, or improvise a song around one they know.
Sing in a group or on their own matching the pitch and following the melody.
Begins to build a collection of songs.
Sing simple songs, chants and rhymes from memory
Sing collectively and at the same pitch, responding to simple visual directions and counting in
Year 1
Sing simple songs with a small range (mi-so) and some pentatonic songs
Sing a wide range of call and response songs, controlling vocal pitch and matching the pitch heard with accuracy
Sing songs regular with a pitch range of ‘do-so’ with increasing vocal control
Year 2 Sing songs with a small pitch range, pitched accurately
Know the meaning of dynamics (loud/quiet) and tempo (fast/slow) and be able to demonstrate these when singing by responding to directions/symbols
Sing a widening range of unison songs of varying styles and structures with a pitch range of ‘do-so’, tunefully and with expression
Perform forte and piano (loud and loft)
Year 3 Perform actions confidently and in time to a range of action songs
Walk, move or clap a steady beat with others, changing the speed of the beat as the tempo of the music changes
Perform in a choir
Sing a broad range of unison songs with the range of an octave, pitching the voice accurately and following directions for getting louder and quieter
Sing rounds and partner songs in different time signatures (2, 3 and 4 time)
Year 4
Begin to sing repertoire with small and large leaps as well as a simple second part to introduce vocal harmony
Perform a range of songs to an audience (eg: production, church service, assembly)
 Sing a broad range of songs from an extended repertoire, including phrasing, accurate pitching, appropriate style and a sense of performance
Year 5 Sing three part rounds, partner songs and songs with a verse and chorus
Perform a range of songs to an audience (eg: production, church service, assembly)
Sing a broad range of songs, including those with syncopated rhythms, from an extended repertoire, including phrasing, accurate pitching, appropriate
style and a sense of performance
Year 6
Sing three and four part rounds or partner songs, developing balance between parts and vocal independence
Perform a range of songs to an audience (eg: production, church service, assembly)

Year Group

Listening
Explore and learn how sounds can be changed.
Listen attentively and talk about music, expressing their feelings and responses.
Talk about changes and patterns in a piece of music.
EYFS
Explore moving in a range of ways and create own movement patterns.
Tap out simple repeated rhythms.
Watch and talk about a performance and express their feelings.
Move and dance with the music
Find the steady beat
Talk about feelings created by the music/song
Recognise some band and orchestral instruments
Year 1 Describe tempo as fast or slow
Describe dynamics as loud and quiet
Join in sections of the song eg. chorus
Begin to understand where the music fits in the world
Begin to understand about different styles of music
Move and dance with the music confidently
Talk about how the song makes you feel
Find different steady beats
Describe tempo as fast or slow
Year 2 Describe dynamics as loud and quiet
Join in sections of the song eg. call and response
Start to talk about the style of a song
Recognise some band and orchestral instruments
Start to talk about where music might fit into the world
 Share your thoughts and feelings about the music together
Find the beat or groove of the music
Invent different actions to move in time with the music
Year 3 Talk about what the song means
Identify some instruments you can hear playing
Identify if it’s a male or female voice
Talk about the style of the songs
Talk about the words of a song
Think about why the song was written
Find and demonstrate the steady beat
Identify 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 metre
Identify the tempo as fast, slow, or steady
Recognise the style of music you are listening to
Discuss the structures of songs
Identify:
- Call and response
Year 4
- A solo vocal or instrumental line and the rest of the ensemble
- A change in texture
- Articulation on certain words
Explain what a main theme is and identify when it is repeated
Identify major and minor tonality
Recognise the sound and notes of the pentatonic scale by ear and from notation
Describe legato and staccato
Recognise the different musical styles and any important musical features that distinguish the style eg: Disco, Funk, Hip Hop, Calypso, Folk, Mariachi,
Gospel, Klezmer, Pop, Rock, Sea Shanty, Salsa, Reggae
Talk about feelings created by the song
Find and demonstrate the steady beat
Identify 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8 metre
Identify the musical style of a song
Identify instruments by ear and through a range of media
Year 5
Discuss the structure of the music with reference to features such as: verse, chorus, bridge, call and response, repeat signs, chorus and final chorus,
improvisation, call and response, and AB
Recall by ear memorable phrases heard in the music
Identify major and minor tonality
Recognise the sound and notes of the pentatonic and blues scales by ear and from notation
 Explain the role of a main theme in musical structure
Recognise different musical styles (eg: Folk, Pop, Gospel, Klezmer, Sea Shanty, Funk and Musicals) and any key features that distinguish the style
Talk about feelings created by the song and justify a personal opinion with reference to musical concepts
Identify different time signatures with greater confidence eg: 2/4, 4/4, 3/4, 6/8
Identify the musical style of a song using some musical vocabulary to discuss its musical concepts
Identify the wider range of instruments by ear and through a range of media eg: bass, electric guitar, percussion, sections of the orchestra such as brass,
woodwind and strings, steel pans, congas, pianos, synthesizers and vocal techniques such as cackles
Year 6
Discuss the structure of a song with reference to verse, chorus, bridge and an instrumental break
Recall by ear memorable phrases heard in the music
Identify major and minor tonality, triads I, IV and V, and intervals within a major scale
Explain the role of a main theme in musical structure
Identify the sound of a Gospel choir and soloist, Rock band, symphony orchestra and a cappella groups

Composing

Explore making sounds with a variety of resources.

Tap out a steady beat and rhythm.
EYFS Move in time to music and respond to changes.
Create own music and sounds with instruments and sound makers.
Make music in a range of ways.
Improvise simple vocal chants, using question and answer phrases
Create musical sound effects and short sequences of sounds in response to stimuli, choosing and playing classroom instruments
Understand the difference between a rhythm pattern and pitch pattern
Year 1
Invent, retain and recall rhythm and pitch patterns and perform these for others
Use music technology to capture, change and combine sounds
Recognise how graphic notation can represent created sounds. Explore and invent own symbols.
Create music in response to a non-musical stimulus (eg: storm, car race, rocket launch)
Improvise simple question and answer phases to be sung or played in pairs, to create a musical conversation
Year 2
Use graphic symbols, dot notation and stick notation as appropriate to keep a record of composed pieces
Use music technology to capture, change and combine sounds
Become more skilled in improvising (using voices, tuned and untuned percussion and instruments, inventing short responses using a limited note range
Year 3 Structure musical ideas (eg: echo or question & answer phrases) to create music with a beginning, middle and end
Compose in response to different stimuli eg: stories, verse, images and musical sources
 Combine known rhythmic notation with letter names to create short pentatonic phrases. Sing and play these phrases as self standing compositions
Arrange notation cards of known note values to create sequences of 2, 3 or 4 beat phases arranged into bars
Explore developing knowledge of musical components by composing music to create a specific mood eg: to accompany a film clip
Year 4
Use major and minor chords
Include instruments from whole class teaching (widening opportunities) to expand scope and range of sounds available for composition
Capture and record creative ideas using graphic symbols, rhythm or staff notation or technology
Improvise freely over a drone, developing a sense of shape and character, using tuned percussion or melodic instruments
Improvise over a simple groove, responding to the beat and creating a melodic shape
Experiment with a wider range of dynamics through improvisation and composition work
Year 5
Compose melodies made from phrases in either C major or A minor (or a suitable key). Enhance melodies with rhythmic or chordal accompaniment
Compose a short piece in ternary form (ABA)
Capture and record creative ideas using graphic symbols, rhythm or staff notation, time signatures or technology
Extend improvisation skills through working in small groups to:
- Create music with multiple sections that include repetition and contrast
- Use chord changes as part of an improvised sequence
- Extend improvised melodies beyond 8 beats over a fixed groove, creating a satisfying melodic shape
Year 6 Plan and compose an 8 or 16 beat melodic phrase using the pentatonic scale and incorporate rhythmic variety and interest. Play on tuned percussion or
melodic instruments and notate the melody
Compose melodies in either G major or E minor (or a suitable key). Enhance melodies with rhythmic or chordal accompaniment
Compose a piece in ternary form, use music software/apps to create and record it, discussing how musical contrasts are achieved

Performing

Explore and engage in music making and dance.

Sing songs solo or as a part of a group.
EYFS
Create own dances and movement to music.
Perform songs/dances to an audience.
Enjoy and have fun performing
Choose a song/songs to perform to a well-known audience
Year 1 Prepare a song to perform
Communicate the meaning of the song
Add actions to the song
 Play some simple instrumental parts
Practise, rehearse and share a song that has been learned in the lesson, from memory or with notation and with confidence
Decide on any actions, instrumental parts/improvisatory ideas/composed passages to be practised and included in the performance
Year 2
Talk about what the song means and why it was chosen to share
Talk about the difference between rehearsing a song and performing it
Develop skills in playing tuned percussion or a melodic instrument
Play and perform melodies following staff notation using a small range
Use listening skills to correctly order phrases using dot notation
Year 3
Individually copy simple step melodic phases with accuracy
Recognise clef, stave, lines and spaces
Understand the difference between crotchets and paired quavers
Develop skills and proficiency in the basic skills of a selected musical instrument over a sustained learning period (widening opportunities through music
hub)
Year 4 Play and perform melodies following staff notation using small range as a class or in groups
(Widening Perform in two or more parts (eg: melody and accompaniment or duet) from simple notation using instruments played in whole class teaching
Ops) Copy short melodic phrases including those using the pentatonic scale
Understand the differences between minims, crotchets, paired quavers and rests
Follow and perform simple rhythmic scores to a steady beat, maintaining individual parts accurately
Play melodies on tuned percussion, melodic instruments or keyboards following staff notation on one stave
Understand how triads are formed and play on tuned percussion, melodic instruments or keyboards. Add chordal accompaniments to known songs
Perform a range of repertoire pieces and arrangements combining acoustic instruments to form ensembles
Year 5 Develop skills in playing by ear on tuned instruments, copying phrases and melodies
Understand the difference between semibreves, minims, crotchets, crotchet rests, paired quavers and semiquavers
Understand the difference between 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 time signatures
Read and play short rhythmic phrases using conventional symbols for known rhythms and note durations
Play a melody following staff notation written on one stave and using notes within an octave range
Make decisions about dynamic range when performing
Accompany a melody using block chords or a bass line
Engage with others through ensemble playing taking on melody or accompaniment roles
Year 6
Understand the difference between semibreves, minims, crotchets, quavers, semiquavers and their equivalent rests
Further develop the skills to read and perform pitch notation
Read and play from rhythm notation in up to four parts
Read and play a four-bar phrase from notation, identifying note names and durations
 Musicianship
Use body percussion, instruments and voices
Work in the key centres of: C major, F major, G major, A minor
Year 1 Find and keep a steady beat
Copy back simple rhythmic patterns using long and short
Copy back simple melodic patterns using high and low
Use body percussion, instruments and voices
Use the key centres of: C major, G major, A minor
Year 2 Find and keep a steady beat
Copy back simple rhythmic patterns using long and short
Copy back simple melodic patterns using high and low
Using body percussion, instruments and voices
Use the key centres of: C major, F major, G major, A minor
Use the time signatures of: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4
Year 3
Find and keep a steady beat
Copy back and improvise simple rhythmic patterns using minims, crotchets, quavers and their rests
Copy back and improvise simple melodic patterns using the notes CDE, GAB, FGA, ABC
Use body percussion, instruments and voices
Use the key centres of: C major, F major, G major, A minor
Use the time signatures of: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4
Year 4
Find and keep a steady beat
Listen and copy rhythmic patterns made of semibreves, minims, dotted crotchets, crotchets, quavers and their rests by ear or from notation
Copy back melodic patterns using the notes CDE, CDEGA, GAB, GABDE, FGA, ABC
Use the key centres of: C major, D major, F major, A minor
Use the time signatures of: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8
Find and keep a steady beat
Year 5
Listen and copy rhythmic patterns made of dotted minims, minims, dotted crotchets, crotchets, dotted quavers, triplet quavers, quavers, semiquavers
and their rests by ear or from notation
Copy back melodic patterns using the notes CDE, DEF♯GA, DEF♯GABC♯, ABCDEFG♯, FGAB♭CDE
Use the key centres of: C major, F major, G major, D major, A minor, D minor
Use the time signatures of: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8
Find and keep a steady beat
Year 6
Listen and copy rhythmic patterns made of minims, dotted crotchets, crotchets, dotted quavers, triplet quavers, quavers, semiquavers, and their rests by
ear or from notation
Copy back melodic patterns using the notes DEFGA, CDEFGAB, FGAB♭CDE, GABCDEF♯, DEF♯GABC♯, ABCDEFG
Appendix 1 – Key Stages 1 and 2 Glossary
This glossary includes the musical terms that appear in the Model Music Curriculum.

As music is a subject rich in terminology and language (often not English) with which
non-specialists may not initially be familiar, the glossary provides a single reference-point
for all subject-specific words, whether instruments, musical periods, genres, terminology
to denote musical components or non-English common musical terms.

Words appearing in the glossary are indicated in bold italics in the text for each Key
Stage and Year the first time they appear.

Word Definition
6/8 time A time signature that shows to count 6 quavers in a bar. It will often look
like this:
Accelerando Gradually growing faster
Adagio At a slow speed
Allegro At a brisk speed
Arrangement A reworking of a piece of music so that it can be played by a different
instrument or combination of instruments from the original.
Baroque period Music written between c.1600 and c.1750. Periods and eras of music
overlap and are not always distinct.
Bars A segment of time corresponding to a specific number of beats.
Beat/Pulse A basic unit of time marking out the speed at which the music is played.
Beat groupings Collecting beats into recognised groups within the bar.
Body percussion Sounds produced using fingers, hands and feet plus mouthed effects, e.g.
cheek pops, tongue clicks, clapping, and a wide range of vocal sounds.
Brass band A group of musicians playing brass instruments and sometimes including
percussion.
Brass family The instrument family that consists of Trumpet, Cornet, Flugelhorn, French
Horn, Eb Horn, Baritone, Euphonium, Trombone, Bass Trombone and Tuba.
Call and Two distinct phrases, where the second phrase is heard as a direct
response response to the first.
Chants Text spoken rhythmically, not sung.
Chord Two or more notes played together to achieve harmony.
Chord A succession of chords, one after another.
progressions
Classical period Music written between c.1750 and c.1830. Periods and eras of music
overlap and are not always distinct.
Classroom Untuned and tuned percussion instruments specifically designed for use in
percussion the classroom (e.g. boomwhackers).
Clef A symbol found at the beginning of a line of music to show how high or low
the notes are.
Compound time Music that is written in a metre of 2 but where each beat is subdivided into 3
quavers, providing a bouncy, skipping, jig-like rhythm, for example in Row,
Row, Row your Boat. (e.g. 6/8)
Contemporary A group of musicians who play music written in the late 20th or 21st century.
music ensemble Instrumentation is decided by the music the group wish to perform.
Crescendo
Gradually getting louder.
Crotchet A note worth one beat, represented by a solid dot with a stem.
Crotchet rest (See Rests)
Cuckoo interval A pitch pattern of two notes found in many Early Years and KS1 songs,
sounding exactly like a ‘cuc-koo’ call. (Also described as So-Mi interval in
Solfege).

56
Decrescendo
Gradually getting quieter.
Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Many people would use Solfege before introducing written notation.
So, La, Ti, Do Syllables are assigned to the notes of the scale, often used in sight-singing.
(Solfege) Solfege can be used with hand signals to distinguish pitch visually. It can be
used to learn to mentally hear the pitches of music before playing or singing
them.
Dot Notation Visual symbols used to represent musical notes and chords.
Dotted crotchet A note value lasting one and a half beats.
Downbeat The accented first beat of a group of notes in any metre, e.g. in 1 2 3 | 1 2 3.
Drone A sustained sound, which could be a single note or a chord.
Duet A piece played or sung by two performers.
Dynamics Volume:
very soft (pianissimo) ( )
soft (piano) ( )
moderately soft (mezzo-piano) ( )
moderately loud (mezzo-forte) ( )
loud (forte) ( )
very loud (fortissimo) ( )
Echo-playing Repeating a given phrase.
Ensemble i) A group of players of any size and instrumental mix.
ii) ‘A sense of ensemble’ describes a musical performance in which players
keep together rhythmically and maintain a balance between parts.
Flutter tongue A tonguing technique for woodwind and brass players, in which a performer
flutters their tongue to make a 'frrrr' sound.
Folk band A group of players who play music in a folk style/genre.
Full diatonic scale A scale which is traditional in European classical music (e.g. C-D-E-F-G-A-
B).
Genre Music that shares a certain style or particular tradition is said to belong to a
genre, e.g. ‘Avant-garde’ or ‘Gospel Blues’.
Graphic notation, Images or a mark that can signify a particular musical action.
symbols or
scores
Groove Persistent repeated units, giving a feel of swing or togetherness.
Harmony A musical effect created by combining two or more notes played or sung
simultaneously.
Improvisation/ Creating and inventing music in real time, i.e. ‘on the spot’.
Improvise
Interval The pitch difference between two notes.
Layered texture A piece of music with more than one contrasting part, 'layering' the music.
Legato Smooth.
Major and Minor A simple major scale can be played using all the white notes on the piano
starting and ending on C, and minor scale from A to A. An example major
chord is C-E-G, and minor A-C-E. Often music in major keys or using major
scales is referred to as happy with minor meaning sad.
Melodic phrase A musical ‘sentence’ that makes sense played or sung on its own.
Melody and A melodic tune which is accompanied by another line of music.
accompaniment
Metre The different groupings of beats, most commonly occurring in 2, 3 and 4
time.
Middle C The note C in the middle of the keyboard. If a keyboard has 88 keys, like a
standard piano, this is where Middle C is found, i.e. C4.

Minim A note worth two beats, represented by a hollow dot with a stem.

57
Moving and static A static part of music might be a drone or a repeated pattern. A moving part
parts might be a long phrase that changes more frequently than the
accompaniment. It’s another way of describing Melody and Accompaniment.
Note values A semibreve is worth 4 beats
A minim is worth 2 beats
A crotchet is worth 1 beat
A quaver is worth half a beat
A semiquaver is worth a quarter of a beat

Octave The musical alphabet is A-B-C-D-E-F-G, which then repeats. For example,
A to the next A is a distance of 8 notes (Oct = 8) therefore an octave is the
range between an A and the next A.
Orchestra An ensemble of instruments, usually combining string, woodwind, brass and
percussion.
Ostinato/Ostinati A musical phrase or rhythm which is repeated.
Paired quaver A quaver is a note value that is worth half a beat. Paired quavers are 2
quavers next door to each other, with a horizontal line joining the two note
stems together.
Partner songs Songs with two (or more) complete melodies that can be sung separately
but go together because they are the same length and follow the same
harmony (e.g. She’ll Be Comin’ Round the Mountain, and When the Saints).
Pause The note or rest that the pause is assigned to should be prolonged.
Pentatonic scale A scale with five notes, e.g. C D E (F) G A (B), very common in folk music.
Percussion family The instrument family that consists of untuned (e.g. snare drum) and tuned
(e.g. xylophone) percussion instruments, i.e. instruments that make a sound
or note when struck with a mallet, beater or stick.
Phrasing Connecting or grouping several notes or rhythms to create a sequence of
sounds that make sense musically and satisfy both performer and listener.
Phrasing in a song indicates where the singer should breathe.
Pitch How high or low a note is.
Pizzicato Plucking the string on a violin, viola, cello or double bass.
Playing by ear The skill of ‘picking out’ a phrase or melody on a pitched instrument without
the support of written music: this skill may require dedicated practice.
Playing/singing at The skill of reading and playing or singing notation without preparation time.
sight (sight-read)
Quaver A note worth half a beat (half a crotchet), represented by a solid dot, a stem
and a tail.
Question and Two distinct phrases usually written in different parts of the music, but which
answer operate like a conversation, with the second phrase answering the first.
Rallentando Gradually growing slower.

58
Renaissance Music written between c.1400 and c.1600. Periods and eras of music
period overlap and are not always distinct.
Rests A moment of silence in music. Rests can last for different lengths of time;

4 beat (semibreve) rest

2 beat (minim) rest
1 beat (crotchet) rest
half a beat (quaver) rest
Rhythm Variable sound patterns that fit over a steady pulse or beat: in songs,
rhythms are dictated by the arrangement of syllables.
Romantic period Music written between c.1830 and c.1900. Periods and eras of music
overlap and are not always distinct.
Rondo form Music composed in a set pattern of sections. The main initial musical theme
alternates with contrasting musical sections and is often represented as A-
B-A-C-A-D-A.
Round A song in which singers perform the same melody but at staggered starting
points, producing overlapping harmony. Rounds are most commonly
performed in 2, 3 or 4 parts.
Scale A sequence of eight adjacent notes which together span an octave.
Score A written document of a piece of music using notation.
Semibreve A note worth four beats represented as a hollow oval with no stem attached.

Semiquaver A note worth a quarter of a beat. A single semiquaver note has two "tails" on
its note stem. If several semiquavers are written in succession, the tails join
up to form double lines above the note.
Sequence The order or arrangement of phrases to form a longer piece.
Solo A section of music, of any length, played or sung by one performer alone.
Sound-maker Naturally created music, made using materials found outside traditional
(sound effect) music making, e.g. rustling leaves, scrunching newspaper.
Staccato Short and spiky, the opposite of Legato.
Staff notation Note values are placed on a set of five lines, or in the four spaces within the
lines, to denote their pitch. The lines (and spaces) are called a stave or staff.
The higher the position of the note on the stave, the higher its pitch.
Stave A set of five horizontal lines and four spaces.
Stick notation A method of teaching music-reading that uses the sticks of the notes without
the circular heads of the notes.
String family The instrument family that consists of violin, viola, cello, double bass and
guitar.
Structure How a piece is organised.
Sustain pedal The right foot pedal on a piano, which sustains the sound produced longer
than the physical action of playing a note.
Syncopation Playing on the off-beat.
Tempo/tempi The speed or pace of music (fast/slow, faster/slower).
Ternary form Music composed in three sections, often referred to as ’sandwich’ music,
illustrating that the outer sections are the same with a contrasting middle
section: e.g. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Ternary form is often represented
as ABA.
Texture The overall effect of how melody, harmony and rhythm are combined in a
piece of music.
Time signature two numbers sit on top of each other next to the clef (see below) and
specify how many beats are contained in each musical bar, and which note
value is equivalent to a musical beat.
Treble clef This sign is placed on the stave at the start of a piece of music. It lets
the performer know that the note values on the lines and in the spaces

59
 can be played by instruments such as violin, flute, clarinet, recorder, oboe,
trumpet, piano (right hand), and soprano and alto singers.
Tremolo On string instruments, rapidly moving the bow back and forth; a roll on a
percussion instrument; or two notes or chords played rapidly on a piano or
marimba.
Triad A three-note chord, often built on the tonic, or ‘home’ note – the lowest of
the three in pitch – and played together with the third and fifth note above it.
A C major triad would contain the notes C, E and G.
Tuned Percussion and orchestral instruments that can produce different notes e.g.
instruments xylophone, chime bars, glockenspiel, hand bells; violin, trumpet, flute, cello,
piano, etc.
Two/three/four A song written for two, three or four soloists or groups of singers, with
part song melodies that complement each other harmonically. Part songs are often
notated with multiple staves.
Unison Playing or singing the same notes together, at the same pitch.
Untuned Percussion that makes a unpitched sound when hit, shaken or scraped, e.g.
instruments woodblock, maracas, guiro, cymbal, drum.
Verse and chorus Music composed in a set pattern of sections, often Verse-Chorus-Verse-
Chorus-Bridge- Chorus or similar. Used in most Pop songs.
Vocal balance Maintaining appropriately even dynamics and accurate pitching between
groups of singers when performing.
Wind band A group of musicians playing woodwind instruments, sometimes with
percussion.
Woodwind family The instrument family that includes flute, clarinet, recorder, oboe, bassoon
and saxophone.
World music A group of musicians playing instruments traditional to a country, continent
ensemble or culture.

60