Year 8 · Music · beta

The 12-bar blues

In this unit, pupils learn about the 12-bar blues, the stylistic and musical features of blues music and the role of the instruments in a blues ensemble. They develop an extended improvisation and build a stylistic blues performance.

This is an attributed Oak National Academy lesson sequence, not a completed or academically approved DASKEREL course. Supporting transcripts may depend on video, images, practical equipment or teacher explanation. Follow each lesson’s supervision guidance. For religious education and RSHE, follow the school’s syllabus, policy and safeguarding procedures.

Prior knowledge

  • Pupils can play a melody on the keyboard in the C and F position
  • Pupils can play a melody with a simple left hand part
  • Pupils know that music is built with scales including the pentatonic scale
  • Pupils have experience improvising around the pentatonic scale

Source curriculum references

  • Play and perform confidently in a range of solo and ensemble contexts using their voice, playing instruments musically, fluently and with accuracy and expression
  • Improvise and compose; and extend and develop musical ideas by drawing on a range of musical structures, styles, genres and traditions
  • Use staff and other relevant notations appropriately and accurately in a range of musical styles, genres and traditions
  • Identify and use the interrelated dimensions of music expressively and with increasing sophistication, including use of tonalities, different types of scales and other musical devices
  • Listen with increasing discrimination to a wide range of music from great composers and musicians
  • Develop a deepening understanding of the music that they perform and to which they listen, and its history

Oak source metadata. DASKEREL has not independently verified school-level coverage.

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