Level 1. Lesson 28. Texture

Overview

  • Students explore musical texture through interactive activities, including rhythm games, pitch exercises, and form analysis, emphasising layered sounds.

Learning intention

  • Students will understand how musical texture is created and can describe layers of sound through engaging hands-on activities.

Success criteria

  • Students can identify different musical textures and describe how sounds layer in music. They participate in rhythm and pitch exercises.

     Woodblock

Difficulty:  

 Prior learning: None 

Prepare:                                                            Present: Texture                                                             Practice:

Students will engage in a musical listening and rhythm game designed to build beat awareness, teamwork, and auditory discrimination skills.

Lyrics

I have lost the closet key in my lady's garden.

I have lost the closet key in my lady's garden.

Questions

  • What do you think a closet is?
  • Who lost the key?
  • Where was it lost?

Closet Key

  • Explain the game's rules, ensuring all students understand the role of keeping the key's location hidden. Emphasise teamwork and focus.
  • There are three versions of the game.
  • Version 1. Students are seated in a circle, and one sits in the centre with their eyes open.
  • The key is passed from student to student in time with the beat as the class sings.
  • Everyone pretends to pass the key to keep the location hidden, even if they don't have it.
  • The student in the centre has three guesses for locating the key.
  • Version 2. Students stand in a circle with their hands behind their backs.
  • A chosen student walks around the circle with the key as the class sings.
  • At the end of the song, they hand the key to the student closest to them, who becomes the "key carrier."
  • Version 3. Students sit in a circle, and the teacher places the key with one student.
  • The student in the middle closes their eyes during the song.
  • At the end of the song, the student with the key sings, "I have found the closet key."
  • The student in the middle guesses who sang the phrase by listening closely.

    Success Criteria

  • I can keep the beat while passing or pretending to pass the key.
  • I can focus and make guesses about the key's location.
  • I can sing confidently while participating in the game.
Key

Students explore the concept of musical texture by comparing "thick" and "thin" sounds in songs. To make the concept relatable, they use a pizza analogy.

Texture in music

  • Begin by asking students a fun question: Do you like pizza? Discuss whether they prefer pizza with just one layer of cheese or many toppings, such as tomatoes, onions, beef, or pepperoni. Use this to introduce the idea of layers. A pizza with many toppings is thick, while one with just cheese is thin.
  • Explain that music can be like pizza, having layers of sound. These layers can make the music sound thick (many layers) or thin (few layers). Introduce the word texture to describe this concept.
  • Teach students that music with only one or two layers sounds thin. Music with many layers sounds thick.
  • Play A Tisket, A Tasket and ask students to listen carefully.
  • Ask how many different sounds were there?" [two—voice and piano.]
  • Play the "thicker" version of the song with more instruments.
  • Ask if this song sounds thicker or thinner than the first one.
  • Play the two versions of Pease Porridge and repeat the process.
  • Ask which version has a thick texture and why.

    Success Criteria

  • I can explain what musical texture means.
  • I can describe music as having a thick or thin texture.
  • I can identify texture in a familiar song.

Questions

  1. If music has many layers, what word do we use to describe the texture?
  2. If music has one or two layers, what word do we use to describe the texture?
  3. Do you like music. to have a thick or thin texture?
  • The graphic to the left may help illustrate texture as layers.
  • Ask students how many layers are in the top green square.
  • If the green square was music, would its texture be thick or thin?
  • Ask students how many layers are below.
  • If this image was music, would its texture be thick or thin?

Students will learn about pitch through a fun and interactive song incorporating visual and physical actions to represent high and low sounds.

Lyrics

On my toe there is a flea, now he's crawling up on me.

Past my tummy, past my nose, on my head where my hair grows.

On my head there is a flea, now he's crawling down on me.

Past my tummy, past my knee, on my toe, take that, you flea!

On My Toe [pitch exercise]

  • Explain that students will explore pitch—how music can move higher and lower—through a fun song.
  • Stand before the class and sing the entire song once, encouraging students to listen carefully.
  • Sing the song again, phrase by phrase, asking students to echo each phrase.
  • While singing the first half of the song, point to your foot and let your hand move upward, past your tummy, past your nose, and rest on your head to visually represent the rising pitch.
  • Ask students to stand, sing along, and imitate your hand movements. Emphasize keeping in tune as they sing and perform the actions together.
  • Once students are confident in their ability to perform actions related to rising pitch, they should reverse the actions to represent the lyrics where the pitch descends.
  • Guide the class as they sing and perform the downward movements, starting from the head and moving down to the foot.
  • Encourage students to laugh and enjoy the visual representation of the "flea" climbing up and down while reminding them that these actions help them understand how pitch changes.

    Success Criteria

  • I can sing the song and match my pitch to the teacher's.
  • I can follow the hand actions to represent rising and falling pitch.
  • I can sing the song independently with the correct movements.

Questions

  1. Where did the flea start crawling?
  2. What was the highest point that the flea crawled to?
  3. What other body parts did the flea travel to?

Students will explore rhythm and musical form by singing Bluebells and completing rhythmic exercises in their music books or on a worksheet.

Bluebells [rhythm & form]

  • Begin by singing Bluebells with the class, ensuring students are secure with the melody and rhythm.
  • Remind students of the concept of musical form.
  • Explain that the song's structure can be described using letters to show which parts are the same or different. For Bluebells, the form is ABAB, where A represents the first phrase, and B represents the second phrase.
  • Distribute their music books (e.g., My First Music Writing Book, p. 24) or printed worksheets.
  • Students will write the rhythm syllables for the last two phrases of Bluebells.
  • Label every phrase with its corresponding form letter (A or B).
  • Model one example on the board to show students how to write the rhythm and label the form. For instance:
  • A: "Bluebells, cockle shells" (ta, ta ti-ti, ta)
  • B: "Eevy ivy over" (ti-ti, ti-ti, ta, ta)
  • Allow students time to complete the task independently or in pairs.
  • Circulate to provide support and ensure understanding.

    Success Criteria

  • I can sing Bluebells and identify its rhythm.
  • I can write the rhythm for the last two phrases in my music book or worksheet.
  • I can identify and label the form of the song using letters.

Lyrics

Bluebells, cockle shells, eevy, ivy over.

Bluebells, cockle shells, eevy, ivy over.

Students will explore the concept of musical texture by singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and adding layers of sound to create thick and thin textures.

Twinkle Twinkle [texture]

Lyrics

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are.

Questions

  1. How many layers can we add to Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star before it sounds like a big musical sandwich?
  2. What’s more fun—singing alone (thin texture) or with everyone stomping and clapping (thick texture)?
  3. What other sounds could we add if we made the song even thicker?
  • Begin by singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star solo for the class.
  • Explain that this is an example of a thin texture with only one sound layer.
  • Invite the whole class to sing together.
  • Ask if this feels thicker or thinner than just one voice. Why?
  • Discuss how adding voices creates a thicker texture.
  • Demonstrate adding layers one at a time.
  • Some students clap softly to the beat while others sing.
  • Next, add foot stomps for a rhythmic layer.
  • Finally, some students hum or use simple percussion (e.g., shakers, tambourines).
  • After each addition, ask what changed in the music. Does it feel thicker or thinner now?
  • Have students create their own texture variations.
  • For example, start with a thin texture (one student sings or hums).
  • Gradually build a thick texture by adding groups of students with clapping, stomping, or instrument layers.

    Success Criteria

  • I can sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
  • I can identify when the music sounds thin or thick.
  • I can add sounds to create thick textures in the song.

Students will develop inner hearing and aural discrimination skills by identifying individual voices through solo singing within a group context.

Lyrics

Kangaroo, skippy roo

Dozing in the midday sun.

Comes a hunter, run, run, run.

Guess who's caught you, just for fun!

Questions

  1. If you could be any animal instead of a kangaroo for this game, what would you choose and why?
  2. What’s the funniest or most surprising thing you think the kangaroo could make during the game?
  3. If you could add a twist to the game, like a silly action or sound the kangaroo has to make, what would it be?

Kangaroo [inner hearing]

  • Arrange students in a circle on the floor.
  • Select one student to be the 'kangaroo'. They kneel in the centre of the circle with their eyes closed.
  • Sing the song 'Kangaroo' together with the class.
    At the song's end, silently point to a student in the circle who sings the last line solo: "Guess who's caught you just for fun!"
  • The 'kangaroo' tries to identify the solo singer. They are allowed three guesses.
  • After the soloist is identified or guesses are exhausted, the soloist becomes the new kangaroo, and the previous kangaroo returns to the circle.
  • Sing the song again, pointing to a new student for the solo line.

    Success Criteria

  • I can sing the song 'Kangaroo' confidently and in tune.
  • I can listen carefully to the last solo line and identify the singer's voice.
  • I can participate in the game while keeping in time with the beat.

         ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS


  1. The student can describe music texture in terms of layers.
  2. The student can write the correct rhythm syllables on a worksheet.
  3. The student can identify AB form in a song.

Student Section

Hey kids 1000

Suggested lessons

Y1. Beat II

 

 

Y1. Beat III

 

Y1. Beat IV

 

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