Session 4: Compare and contrast – listening activities using the timeline

Aim
This session aims to help pupils explore music at a greater depth looking at structure, instrumentation and lyrics.

Curriculum links:

KS4
Independent learning
Music (listening)
History
Citizenship
English
Literacy 

Song has been part of every society’s culture and heritage.

“The history of a people is found in its songs”

Anon

Task 1

Look at the timeline carefully.  Select two different periods, eg 1910s and 1950s.  Use the example below to give you an idea of how to work with this task.  (Example 1910 "Careless Love" performed by Bessie Smith and 1950 "Summertime" (Gershwin) to compare and contrast.)

• Listen carefully to both examples and make notes about the music as you listen.

• Listen to the extracts a few times to really get inside the music. These questions will help direct your listening and thinking.

• Compare the instrumentation – what kinds of instruments are played, how are they used in the music? What about the ‘backing’/accompaniment – what do they tell us about the context of the music?

• Comment on the treatment of the lyrics – are there similarities or are they quite different?

• Compare the structures/musical shapes of the pieces.

• How would you describe the two pieces? How do they contrast?

• What does each song tell you about the context of when it was written, or about the kind of society that produced it?

• Now go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/genres/blues.shtml to find out more about blues music.

• You can hear a short interview with Paul Jones (Radio 2 Rhythm and Blues DJ) about what to expect when listening to blues, together with some short extracts from other examples of blues.

• Make notes to share your findings with the class.

• Look at the timeline again and select two other contrasting periods.

• Use the PlayTime site to find the songs and make notes as before.