Lesson 2: Gamelan music

Learning the features of gamelan music, including the Slendro scale and cyclical rhythmic patterns, recognising and accurately naming traditional gamelan instruments

Learning objective

  • To understand the key features of gamelan music

National curriculum

Children should be taught to:

  • Play and perform in solo and ensemble contexts, using their voices ([and playing musical instruments) with increasing accuracy, fluency, control and expression
  • Listen with attention to detail and recall sounds with increasing aural memory
  • Use and understand staff and other musical notations
  • Appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live and recorded music drawn from different traditions and from great composers and musicians
  • Develop an understanding of the history of music

Success criteria

Cross-curricular links

Before the lesson

Download and print classroom resources

Attention grabber

Main event

Differentiation

Pupils needing extra support: Teacher to read the name of each instrument as it appears in the video to help children identify if it appears on their bingo cards. Encourage paired discussion about the music in the Wrapping up activity and use of the key word presentation slide (slide 6 of Presentation: Gamelan music).

 

Pupils working at greater depth: Could have a go at playing the melody while everyone else is singing it.

Wrapping up

Assessing pupils' progression of learning

Vocabulary

Created by:
Elizabeth Stafford,  
Music specialist
After a brief spell as an opera singer, Liz embarked on a 20-year career in music education, teaching at early years, primary and secondary. After Liz had her daughter, she started her own business Music Education Solutions® Limited, helping teachers…
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