Listening and performing 1

Learning Intentions

  • We are learning to demonstrate musical understanding when performing music.
  • We are learning to develop our understanding of chords and their use in accompanying a melody.

Extension activity

Pupils could notate their melody with the appropriate chord written above the melodic line. They might also be able to work out chord accompaniments to more challenging and complex melodies. They could extend this work further by making up a chord pattern using C, G and F and improvising their own melody over this chord pattern.

What to look for

  • Pupils playing the chords of C, G and F major as block chords and broken chords
  • Pupils working out appropriate chord sequences for well-known melodies
  • Pupils taking turns to play melody and chords for well-known melodies
  • Pupils performing well-known melodies in pairs

Learning Activities

Explain how we can use chords as an accompaniment to melodies. Demonstrate how to find the triad of C major.
Encourage pupils to work out and play the chords C, G and F. They could explore:

  • block chords; and
  • broken chords.

Ask the pupils, working in pairs, to work out the appropriate chord to fit with the melodies of, for example:

  • Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (starting on the note C); and
  • This Old Man (starting on the note G).

Ensure that each pupil takes turns playing the chord part and the melody.

Listen to their performances and take feedback from the pupils on the effectiveness of their performances.

Explain how we can accompany many melodies using only three chords (‘the three-chord trick’).