Key Stage 3 Music

Listening Diary

Each week choose two pieces of music to listen to in detail and answer the questions on the other side of this sheet

What should I listen to?

What should I do?

Be brave in your music choices, don’t just listen to songs and pieces you already know and like. Use this opportunity to discover new musicians, bands, singers, styles

and genres

How do I find new music?

If you have access to the internet:• Youtube• Spotify• Radio station websites• BBC Ten pieces website• BBC Bitesize Music• Google - ask for random/

new music

If you don’t have access to the internet:• Radio stations• Music channels on TV (freeview or

paid service)• Ask family members if they have

music on their phones• Watch a film and listen to the music• Theme tunes of TV programmes• CD’s in the house or from family

members

Ideas for new music

• Blues• Rock and Roll• Jazz• Folk• Reggae• Musical Theatre• Disco• Soul music• Baroque• Techno• Swing• Orchestra• Film music

• TV theme tunes• Music for adverts• Video game music• Music for celebrations• Music from different decades (1960’s,

1920’s etc)• Music from different countries• Music that represents an animal• Music that tells a story• A Cappella • Instrumental• Music that doesn’t use instruments• Music for dancing

Answer these questions about the piece of music you have listened to

About the piece

Title of the pieceWho wrote the piece?

Who is performing the piece?When was it composed (written, created)?

What style/genre of music is it?How do you know this?

Listening in detail

Use the music literacy sheet to help

Choose at least three sections from the Basic Music Literacy sheet to describe your chosen music

i.e Dynamics, Texture and Instrumentation

Write in full sentences and be specific i.e. “The dynamics at the beginning are forte”

“The texture starts thin and gets thicker at the chorus”“The trumpet is playing the main melody and the string family is

accompanying”

Do you like the piece? Explain why or why not

Texture - the layers of sound and how they fit togetherThin Thick Unison Imitation

A single layer Lots of layers weaving together

All doing the same thing

When one part copies another

Articulation - how the notes are played Dynamics - volumeDetached Sustained Piano Forte

Separate, spiky notes Long, held notes Quiet Loud

Basic Music LiteracyMelody - the main tune

Ascending Descending Conjunct Disjunct

Going up in pitch Going down in pitch Moves by step Moves in big jumps

Structure - the sections and how they are orderedPhrase Section Repeated Contrasting

Like a musical sentence

Like a musical paragraph

A section that is the same again

A section that is different

Instrumentation - the instruments usedOrchestra Vocal String Brass Woodwind Percussion

TimpaniSnare Drum

CymbalTambourine

TriangleBass Drum

Strings, brass, woodwind and

percussion instruments

Male and/or female singer

Violin, viola, cello, double

bass

Trumpet, french horn, trombone,

tuba

Flute, oboe, clarinet,

bassoon, saxophone

Rhythm - the pattern of notes against the beatBeat Time Signature Simple Complex

Steady pulse of the music

How many beats in a bar

Simple pattern of note values Complicated rhythm

Tempo - the speed of the musicAllegro Andante Largo

Quick Walking Pace Slow and Steady

On the line - Use the Rhyme - Every Gateshead Bus Drives Fast

In the space, it spells FACE

Treble Clef Notes

The Keyboard

Bass -

Low

pit

che

d

Tre

ble

- Hig

h p

itche

d

C is always to the left of TWO black notes

Sharp

Makes a note higher - Black note to the right

Flat

Makes a note lower - Black note to the left