Music
What this chapter will buildIdentify musical events and describe what changes during a short passage.
Suggested preparationStart here — no earlier chapter is needed.
Close listeningPlanned
Listen repeatedly for one feature at a time and distinguish description from a personal reaction.
Sound, silence and musical eventsPlanned
Mark entrances, stops and recurring events without needing to read notation.
Musical elements togetherPlanned
Compare rhythm, melody, texture, timbre and dynamics as distinct but interacting choices.
A listening mapPlanned
Sketch a passage over time and use the map to explain repetition and change.
Identifying a musical examplePlanned
Record performer, source and context before treating one recording as a whole tradition.
What this chapter will buildRelate audible qualities to basic sound behaviour and suitable listening conditions.
Suggested preparation
Frequency and perceived pitchPlanned
Compare low and high tones while distinguishing physical frequency from perceived pitch.
Amplitude and perceived loudnessPlanned
Compare sound level and perceived loudness without assuming different sounds feel equally loud.
Timbre and the sound envelopePlanned
Compare attack, sustain, decay and spectral qualities in different sound sources.
Listening level and exposurePlanned
Connect level, duration and repetition to exposure and recognise when hearing concerns need attention.
Listening conditions and accessPlanned
Compare playback, background noise and visual or tactile supports when choosing a learning setup.
What this chapter will buildKeep a pulse, reproduce a short pattern and distinguish rhythm from beat grouping.
Suggested preparation
Pulse and tempoPlanned
Tap a regular pulse and compare changes in speed with changes in rhythmic pattern.
Duration and restsPlanned
Reproduce a short sequence of sounds and silences against a steady pulse.
Metre and accentPlanned
Group beats and compare structural accents with performed emphasis.
Subdivision and syncopationPlanned
Divide a beat and place events between expected accents while keeping the underlying pulse.
Rhythmic call and responsePlanned
Echo a pattern, vary one feature and compare the response with the original.
What this chapter will buildFollow and reproduce a short melodic contour using relative pitch relationships.
Melodic contourPlanned
Trace upward, downward and repeated pitch movements in a short melody.
Steps, leaps and repetitionPlanned
Compare small and large pitch movements and their place within a phrase.
Octave and pitch classPlanned
Compare octave-related tones and explain pitch class without treating it as every tradition’s tuning rule.
A reference tone and phrasePlanned
Listen for a reference or resting tone and compare the direction of short phrases.
Melodic echo and variationPlanned
Echo a small pattern with a comfortable voice or instrument, then change its ending.
What this chapter will buildComplete a short performance task and review progress with specific audible criteria.
Suggested preparation
Choose a short musical goalPlanned
Choose a small rhythm or melody and define the timing, pitch or expression you will practise.
Record an initial attemptPlanned
Make a comfortable first attempt and note one recurring difficulty without editing it away.
Practise a manageable sectionPlanned
Slow or simplify a difficult section, then reconnect it with the full short pattern.
Compare the recording with the goalPlanned
Listen for the selected criterion and ask for specific feedback before changing the practice task.
Review later and vary the taskPlanned
Repeat after a delay and in a changed pattern to check retention and choose the next step.