成人快手

What is programme music?

Cartoon image of Bach standing with left hand on hip and right hand in front of him.

love telling stories through their music.

Creating a feeling, bringing something to life or painting a picture with music is often called .

Famous composers have written music inspired by:

  • a beautiful landscape painting
  • a character from history
  • an object

Let's explore!

Cartoon image of Bach standing with left hand on hip and right hand in front of him.
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Watch: Short Ride in a Fast Machine

A great example of programme music is this piece of music by the American composer John Adams. It's called Short Ride in a Fast Machine.

Have a listen, what do you think John Adams is trying to describe in this music?

From Ten Pieces, Khalil Madovi introduces John Adams's Short Ride in a Fast Machine.

A cartoon of a young boy pointing upwards

Did you spot the repeating rhythms and melodies that give us the impression that we are travelling along really fast?

Can you name any of the instruments that are being played?

You can find out more about John Adams on 成人快手 Ten Pieces.

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Who is Vivaldi?

Cartoon image of Vivaldi playing the violin on a wintery background.

One of the most famous examples of programme music is a piece of music called The Four Seasons by composer Antonio Vivaldi.

The Four Seasons has four movements, each one represents one of our four seasons.

Vivaldi was an amazing violinist and used the violin to conjure up sounds and pictures from each season. From barking dogs and mosquitos to summer storms and birds happily singing the arrival of spring.

Cartoon image of Vivaldi playing the violin on a wintery background.

Listen: Winter by Vivaldi

In Winter, Vivaldi brilliantly conveys the biting cold, gusting wind, trembling bodies and chattering teeth on his beloved violin.

Have a listen and see if the music makes you feel really cold and chilly.

Violinist Stephanie Childress directs the 成人快手 Scottish Symphony Orchestra to play 'Winter' from Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. From Ten Pieces Trailblazers.

Ruby pointing up to some text that says "Did you know?"

This performance is a . It features a solo instrument (the violin) with an providing the .

You can find out more about Vivaldi on 成人快手 Ten Pieces.

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Why is performing music important?

As well as composing pieces of music that describe things, learning how to perform music in an expressive way is a vital skill for all musicians.

Good communication and expression can help the audience understand the feeling of the music and bring it to life for them.

A band of young children playing different instruments

When you start learning a new song either on your own or in a choir, you could ask yourself some of the following questions.

  • What is the song saying?
  • What are the emotions and feelings in the song?
  • How do you have to feel to sing these lyrics?
  • Can you think of a time when you would feel these emotions?
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Watch: 'Somewhere Only We Know'

Listen to this choir singing Keane's song 'Somewhere Only We Know'.

The choir give these main lyrics extra special meaning towards the end of their performance.

They do this by changing the volume of their singing to highlight the emotion of these words in the song.

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Activities

Quiz

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Bitesize Primary games. game

Play fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art, computing and modern languages.

Bitesize Primary games
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More on Creating Music

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