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Lesson 1: History of the blues

Learning the origins of the blues and identifying some features of this genre, singing a blues-style song.
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Man singing and playing guitar iStock 1198278415

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Learning objective

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Success criteria

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Before the lesson

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Lesson plan

1. Recap and recall

Before starting this unit, you might want to check that children can recall the answers to the following questions:

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In this unit

Assessment – Music Y5: Blues
Lesson 1: History of the blues
Lesson 2: Playing a chordLesson 3: The 12-bar bluesLesson 4: Blues scaleLesson 5: Improvisation and the blues
Created by:
Kapow Primary Team
Kapow Primary Team
Our team comprises experienced classroom teachers who love the foundation subjectsFind out more
Maintained by: Kapow Primary teamLast update: 9 April 2026

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Assessment – Music Y5: Blues
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Assessment – Music Y5: Blues

Assessment quiz for use at the start and/or end of the unit to assess pupil progress.

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Lesson 2: Playing a chord
MusicYear 5

Lesson 2: Playing a chord

Becoming familiar with cords often used in blues music, playing the first line of the 12-bar blues.

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Lesson 3: The 12-bar blues
MusicYear 5

Lesson 3: The 12-bar blues

Learning to play the chord sequence of the 12-bar blues.

View lesson

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