Music topics explained for parents
Music is taught from Year 1 to Year 9, covering performing, composing, listening, notation and the history of music. Children begin by singing, chanting and playing simple instruments, then learn to read notation, improvise and compose, and later work with scales, tonalities and music technology. The programme of study sets no required pieces, so schools choose the songs, instruments and composers.
Key Stage 1 music
Key Stage 2 music
Key Stage 3 music
- Composing with structures and styles
- Listening with discrimination
- Ensemble performance
- Improvising and extending ideas
- Using music technology
- Ostinato, riffs and musical devices
- Chord symbols, tab and graphic scores
- Popular music and world traditions
- Solo performance
- Using staff notation accurately
- Major, minor and tonality
- Different types of scales
- Western classical music and its history