Music for Teachers

Level 1

Statements to aid levelling

Performing

• When performing in a group they are aware that their performance must fit in with that of other children;
• They begin to play patterns from memory;
• They begin to play with some awareness of the beat;
• They experiment with their voice (chant, rap, represent known sounds);
• They sing with a developing sense of pitch (high and low) when singing songs with an appropriate range;

Composing

• They explore sounds on instruments and found objects;
• They make changes to sounds (e.g. playing a drum with different beaters etc.)
• They experiment with their voice (chant, rap, represent known sounds);
• They make and repeat short patterns of sound;
• They create short patterns of sound in response to a starting point (e.g. a story, a picture)
• They invent their own graphic symbols to represent sounds.
• They experiment with loud and quiet and different types of sounds which different instruments make.

Listening and Appraising

• They can make a response to different moods in music (e.g. move in a particular way when listening to a specific piece of music)
• When changes in musical elements within a piece are very clear they will recognise and react to the change (e.g. a sudden loud section)
• They begin to follow simple musical instructions (e.g. teachers hand sign for ‘get louder’);
• They begin to recognise repetition when listening to music of others.

Level 2

Statements to aid levelling 

Performing

• They begin to use various notations to support the rhythm (e.g. graphic notations or grid notations); 
• They recognise the use of hand signals show high and low in the tune;
• When pupils are performing together they are aware they  all need to play to the same beat and the same speed;
• They recognise errors and begin to correct when performing.
• Sing largely in tune as a whole class;
• Links together notes based on a feel for the beat;
• When singing can be aware of more than one element at a time, e.g. loud and long, loud and short, quiet and long, quiet and short. 

Composing

• When composing they can create patterns of sound which have been specially selected;
• They can use a simple structure which has a beginning a middle and an end; 
• They can develop musical ideas from given stimuli (e.g. a photograph, a poem, a story)
• Some compositions will be supported by graphic or grid symbols on paper or computer screen (scores). 

Listening and Appraising

• When listening they can identify the impact of elements in carefully selected music;
• They can make suggestions to improve their work.
• When listening to carefully selected music they have a wider range of knowledge and experience of music from various times and places. 

Music – Level 3 

Statements to aid levelling

Performing 

• When working from notations most will be confident in their use of  4 beat, 2 beat 1 beat and pairs of half-beat notes; 
• Will notate some of their work using graphic scores (sometimes on computer).
• Play their own part when performing on instruments with others;
• Play in such a way that the whole class are aware of the common beat;
• Beginnings and ends are tidy and planned.
• Sing largely in tune as a whole class;
• Links together notes to form musical phrases;
• Sings in a way that reflects the lyric;
• Sings using loud and quiet (dynamics) to express the mood of the phrase. 

Composing 

• They will create music in first draft form and later revise, edit and develop it;
• When composing they choose their resources to suit the task;
• They work together to link different instruments in pieces in more than one part (strand of texture); 
• They deliberately use silence in their work;
• They will use loud and quiet, high and low, long and short, in more than one strand in a deliberate way.
• There work will use repetition - short phrases or even single short patterns will be repeated to form the basis of a new work;
• They will work in teams or as a whole class to produce compositions with more than 2 instrumental parts;  
• They will be aware of others players as they perform;

Listening and Appraising 

• When listening they can identify the impact of various elements; 
• They identify musical features which seem to suggest a mood or atmosphere;
• When listening to music which intends to create an effect or atmosphere, they can identify how and why the elements are used in a particular way.
• They will use relevant musical vocabulary, for example when talking about the elements of music.
• When listening to carefully selected music they begin to make comparisons between music of different cultures, through the elements of music.

Music – Level 4

Statements to aid levelling 

Performing

• Play simple pieces on a keyboard which have a simple right hand melody part spanning the range of a fifth and including four phrases, such as ‘Lightly Row’ with accuracy.
• When working with untuned percussion, play straightforward parts in an ensemble with simple note values (semi-breve, minim, crotchet and quaver) and features such as ostinato with accuracy.
• When working with tuned percussion, play melodic parts in an ensemble with features such as ostinato with accuracy and some expression.
• Sing songs in a 2 part texture, singing mainly in tune and in time and with some control of vocal techniques (breathing, posture and diction). Examples may include two part rounds.  

Composing

• Compose music that shows basic development within a simple structure and that illustrates an intended mood or atmosphere, for example a piece in binary form showing a contrasting section, of about 8 bars length with a satisfactory chord sequence of 4 bars repeated.
• Compose music for one part which has a basic structure and development and shows basic harmonic sense.  The music should be rhythmically sound (using note values from semi-breve to quaver) and have an effective melody that moves by step with occasional leaps and shows some evidence of basic traditional notational skills and understanding.
• When working as part of a group, compose a small scale ensemble piece as part of a group which is rhythmically and melodically interesting, using basic notation where possible.
• Can carry out simple refinements and improvements to their own work, developing main themes with the use of a number of variation techniques  to extend their work. 

Listening and Appraising

• Analyse music, including music from around the world and historic music, with some accuracy showing basic skills in identifying changes related to the elements of music; duration, pitch, dynamics, tempo, texture, timbre and structure; and including the use of silence.
• Compare and contrast some musical features in two pieces of music; perhaps two versions of the same pop song, or two short pieces on a similar theme by composers from different eras; using some appropriate music vocabulary and relate to the elements of music.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of a piece of music with regard to its intended effect, venue, occasion and purpose, using some appropriate vocabulary.
• Use written or oral modes to evaluate a musical work showing awareness of process and outcome using limited musical language and attempting to  justifying opinions.

 are aware of the common beat;