1 - Performance

Performance Skills Music Notation Symbols

1. Accuracy: Playing the correct notes (pitch and rhythm)
2. Fluency: Playing without having to stop or pause Sharp = # Flat = b Natural =
(black key to the right) (black key to the left) (white keys)
3. Expression: Creating appropriate moods in the music
using dynamics, articulation and an appropriate tempo.

Reading Music Notation Chords (Left Hand)

Time Signature - tells us how many beats are The chords are a part of the accompaniment
in a bar (background music). A chord is THREE notes (keys)
pressed together at the same time.

Remember the pattern:

Play – skip – play – skip – play
Bar - the space Little Middle Thumb (1)
between two Finger (5) Finger (3)
Stave - the lines that the Barline - the lines barlines
notes are drawn on are that divide bars
called the STAVE. in the music. Melody (Right Hand)
A melody could also be called the MAIN TUNE. It is only one note (key)
Look at the black dots for each note and how high/low they are on the stave. pressed together at the same time.
These show us the PITCH of each NOTE on the keyboard.
If the note has height, move to the right! Use little finger for higher notes / Use thumb and first finger for lower notes.
 2 - Composition
3. Accompaniment
Composition Skills Chord Sequence
1. Structure: The different sections of music. Each section of music ● One chord is made up of three notes
has a contrasting melody and accompaniment. ● A chord sequence is FOUR chords played one after the other
Working out the notes of a chords
2. Melody: The main tune of the music. ● Follow this pattern PLAY-skip-PLAY-skip-PLAY
3. Accompaniment: The background music to go with the main ● For example, an A chord - play an A (skip a B) play a C (skip a D) play an
melody E. So the three notes you would press are ACE together for an A chord.
Choosing your four chords.
4. Expression: Using dynamics, articulation and tempo to create a ● If the first note of your melody is A, your first chord will be an A chord.
specific mood. ● If the first note of your melody is C, your first chord will be an C chord.]
● After that, the other three chords can be any chords you like!

2. Melody 1. Structure
Sections
Harmony ● Every piece of music is made up of different sections of music.
● Positive/happy tone - start on a C and only use the white keys ● Every section has a different melody and accompaniment.
● Negative/sad tone - start on an A and only use the white keys ● Most piece have two main sections called EITHER
○ Section A and Section B
Pitch
○ OR Chorus and Verse
● High (right side of keyboard) or low (right side of keyboard) notes?
● Step (moving up/down one key at a time) or leaps (leaving bigger gaps
between the keys) 4. Expression
Rhythm Dynamics
● Long (notes pressed and held for a count of many beats) ● Loud or quiet / sudden or gradual changes?
● Short (notes pressed quickly and held for only half a beat or less) Articulation
Phrases ● Spiky or smooth / will it change in different sections?
● Shorter melodies (5-10 notes) Tempo
● A melody is usually made up of four phrases, following the pattern ABAC ● Fast, medium or slow beat / will it change in different sections of music?
 3 - Year 7 Elements
Year 7 Musical Elements
The Musical Elements
Keywords What the keywords mean
How loud or quiet is the Loud The notes are played loudly - keys are pressed hard on the piano
music? Is it getting Quiet The notes are played quietly - keys are pressed softly on the piano
Dynamics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ7zA2_um8s
louder/quieter suddenly Sudden It changes suddenly between loud and quiet
or gradually? Gradual It changes gradually between loud and quiet
What instruments are String Instruments Instruments in an orchestra with strings on them
being played? Are they Brass Instruments Instruments in an orchestra made of brass
Instruments https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvJDEHlisGM
playing the melody or the Woodwind Instruments Instruments in an orchestra played by blowing through them
accompaniment? Percussion Instruments Instruments in an orchestra played by hitting them

How long are short are the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml2Od-o31kM

Long sustained notes Notes played for a count of many beats
Rhythm notes? Rhythm is counted https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UphAzryVpY
Short notes Notes played for a short count of a beat or a half beat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAK5-pUxSDE
in beats, not seconds

Fast The beat of the music or counting (not the notes) is fast.
How fast is the beat? Does Medium The beat of the music or counting (not the notes) is medium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo
Tempo it slow down or speed up Slow The beat of the music or counting (not the notes) is slow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DjoipqbkC8
in the music? Getting faster The beat of the music or counting (not the notes) is getting faster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnb5zX3sRe4
Getting slower The beat of the music or counting (not the notes) is getting slower
The notes are high (played on the right side of the keyboard)
High https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCqpi5Ekwiw&list=PLISNbulOQowu
How high or low are the The notes are low (played on the left side of the keyboard)
Low obSS2SMHfRCSzsOQnURG- - high and low pitch
Pitch shape notes? How do they move The notes are played moving up or down one key at a time
Step https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_major - scales move in step
up and down in pitch? The notes being played are moving up or down leaving gaps between https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steps_and_skips - skips are the same as leaps
Leap
keys
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/With_staccato.og
g - Spiky
Are the notes played Smooth The notes sound joined together, with little silence between them
Articulation https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Without_staccato.
smooth or spiky? Spiky The notes sound detached, with a noticeable silence between them ogg - Smooth
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zk3nwty/revision/2

Thick Lots of instruments or notes playing together

How many
Thin Only a few instruments or notes playing together
Texture instruments/notes are https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvrrQQKaq3c- Melody
Melody The main tune of the music (one note pressed at a time)
playing together?
Accompaniment The background music, anything that is not the main melody

What is the tone created Major When notes pressed together create a positive tone, such as happy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQxCE-Lk9Kw
Harmony when two or more notes Minor When notes pressed together create a negative tone, such as sad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX7VKqhlUDs
are played together? Chord Three notes played together
 4 - Year 8 Elements
Year 8 Musical Elements
The Musical Elements
Keywords What the keywords mean
How loud or quiet is Forte Loud
the music? Is it getting Piano Quiet
Dynamics louder/quieter Sudden It changes suddenly between loud and quiet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ7zA2_um8s
suddenly or gradually? Gradual It changes gradually between loud and quiet

Instruments in an orchestra with strings on them. Violin is high pitched and cello is low pitched
Strings
What instruments are Instruments in an orchestra made of brass. Trumpet is high pitched and trombone is low pitched
Brass
being played? Are they Instruments in an orchestra played by blowing through them. Flute is high pitched and bassoon
Instruments playing the melody or
Woodwind
is low pitched
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvJDEHlisGM
Percussion (snare,
the accompaniment? Instruments in an orchestra played by hitting them. A snare is a higher sound and bass drum is
bass drum)
lower.

How long are short are https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UphAzryVpY

On-beat notes When the notes being played, are mainly played at the same time as the beats (counting)
the notes? Rhythm is
Rhythm counted in beats, not
Offbeat notes When the notes being played, are mainly played at the in between the beats (counting)
seconds
Swing When the notes are bouncy or uneven - long short long short etc.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKV_VLxLwAs

Allegro The beat of the music or counting (not the notes) is fast.
How fast is the beat? Andante The beat of the music or counting (not the notes) is medium
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z4yh8xs/revisio
Tempo Does it slow down or Adagio The beat of the music or counting (not the notes) is slow
n/1
speed up in the music? Getting faster The beat of the music or counting (not the notes) is getting faster
Getting slower The beat of the music or counting (not the notes) is getting slower

How high or low are

The notes are played moving up or down one key at a time, from one note to the next one of
the notes? How do Scale
Pitch shape they move up and Interval
that note. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XDy820ZS1o
The number of keys between two notes, including the start and end note.
down in pitch?

Are the notes played Legato The notes sound joined together, with little silence between them - smoothly
Articulation smooth or spiky? Staccato The notes sound detached, with a noticeable silence between them - spiky https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12P1el-JqVg

How many
Broken chords The notes of a chord are played separately, or one after the other
Texture instruments/notes are
Block chord The three notes of the chord are played at the same time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bWr2KAetrQ
playing together?

What is the tone

created when two or Tells you which notes you should play sharp or flat. The notes you can use in the key signature
Harmony more notes are played
Key Signature
will either be major or minor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY9Q0R0G2jM
together?