Establishing the musical conventions and focus of the practical experience

This second layer of the planning process does two things. It identifies:

• the conventions that pupils will learn about to establish their understanding of the music as a unique style, genre or tradition;
• the focus of the practical experience that pupils will engage with so that they can best begin to understand those conventions.

Conventions of a musical style, genre or tradition

Once the overarching understanding and context have been identified, the heart of the musical learning for understanding can be addressed: the conventions, processes and devices of the musical style, genre or tradition being studied.

All forms of music are recognisable because of their unique combination of musical conventions. This is the central aspect of learning for musical understanding: what distinct processes and devices are combined to create the unique aural character of the style, genre or tradition? For example, in a unit on blues music, this might be fixed as learning about the use of structured lyrics in blues through call and response vocal lines, the blues scale, a defined chord sequence and improvising. It is the combination of these conventions that is so special – other musics also use call and response and improvising, but when these are added to the lyrics, the blues scale and the familiar chord sequence, we instantly recognise the distinctive qualities of a blues song.

Studying ‘musical elements’ does not always cover the appropriate conventions: improvising, for instance, is a convention of numerous musical styles, but it is not a musical element as defined by the National Curriculum (2008). Similarly, a convention of film music is the use of synchronous sounds (musical ideas timed to coincide with, and express the character of, images). This is a skill associated with composing, and would not be covered by a study of musical elements.

As with context, note also how the focus for conventions is on the music. It is not about what pupils do in lessons. What conventions do cover, however, are the features that make up the music’s ‘genetic aural fingerprint’:

• the sounds, devices and ways of making music that when combined create a unique and immediately identifiable sound world;
• the essential aural ingredients that define that sound world – the things that, if missing, would mean that the music was something else.

Focus of the practical experience needed to engage with the music

When these conventions have been identified, the broad focus of practical musical activities that will enable pupils to access and understand these conventions will become clear. For instance, a unit on programme music will probably identify that a key convention is the way that the music uses short motifs to portray key characters: a good way of learning this would be through a composing activity. By contrast, a unit on gospel music may identify that a key convention is the layering and weaving of vocal lines: a good way of learning this would be through an ensemble singing activity.