Key Stage 3 Music

Listening Diary
What should I do?
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?

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 don’t have access to the internet:

• Radio stations
If you have access to the internet:

• Music channels on TV (freeview or • Youtube

paid service)
• Spotify

• Ask family members if they have • Radio station websites

music on their phones

• BBC Ten pieces website

• Watch a film and listen to the music

• BBC Bitesize Music

• Theme tunes of TV programmes

• Google - ask for random/
• CD’s in the house or from family new music
members

Ideas for new music

• Blues
• TV theme tunes

• Rock and Roll

• Music for adverts

• Jazz
• Video game music

• Folk
• Music for celebrations

• Reggae
• Music from different decades (1960’s,
• Musical Theatre
1920’s etc)

• Disco
• Music from different countries

• Soul music
• Music that represents an animal

• Baroque
• Music that tells a story

• Techno
• A Cappella

• Swing
• Instrumental

• Orchestra
• Music that doesn’t use instruments

• Film music • Music for dancing

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

About the piece

Title of the piece

Who 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

 Basic Music Literacy
Melody - the main tune
Ascending Descending Conjunct Disjunct

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

Articulation - how the notes are played Dynamics - volume

Detached Sustained Piano Forte

Separate, spiky notes Long, held notes Quiet Loud

Texture - the layers of sound and how they fit together

Thin Thick Unison Imitation

Lots of layers weaving All doing the same When one part copies
A single layer
together thing another

Structure - the sections and how they are ordered

Phrase Section Repeated Contrasting

Like a musical Like a musical A section that is the A section that is

sentence paragraph same again different

Instrumentation - the instruments used

Orchestra Vocal String Brass Woodwind Percussion

Timpani
Snare Drum
Strings, brass, Male and/or Violin, viola, Trumpet, french Flute, oboe, Cymbal
woodwind and female singer cello, double horn, trombone, clarinet, Tambourine
percussion bass tuba bassoon, Triangle
instruments saxophone Bass Drum
 Rhythm - the pattern of notes against the beat
Beat Time Signature Simple Complex

Steady pulse of the How many beats in a Simple pattern of note

Complicated rhythm
music bar values

Tempo - the speed of the music

Allegro Andante Largo

Quick Walking Pace Slow and Steady

Treble Clef Notes

On the line - Use the Rhyme - Every Gateshead Bus Drives Fast
In the space, it spells FACE

The Keyboard
C is always to the left of TWO black notes
Treble - High pitched
Bass - Low pitched

Flat Sharp
Makes a note lower - Black note to the left Makes a note higher - Black note to the right