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Understanding and playing octaves
This Music video introduces teachers to the concept of the octave and how to help pupils recognise, write, and perform it. Pupils will learn that an octave is the eight-note distance between two notes of the same name, where the upper note vibrates at double the frequency of the lower. The video demonstrates different strategies for teaching this, from counting notes on a stave to finding octaves on tuned percussion and keyboards.
This video is part of Kapow Primary’s Music scheme – notes. It supports teachers in modelling how to read, write, hear, and play octaves confidently. It explains how octaves are applied in the Gamelan-inspired piece ‘Blue Sky’, where the tune is doubled across different octaves, helping pupils consolidate their understanding while connecting new knowledge to practical ensemble performance.
