Professional Focus Paper
Course: Music
1.
Level: National 5
Who is this paper for and what is its purpose?
This paper is for teachers and other staff who provide learning, teaching and support as learners work towards
Music National 5.
Curriculum for Excellence is a unique opportunity to raise achievement and to ensure that all learners are better
prepared than they have been in the past for learning, life and work. This is because the new curriculum gives real
scope to build learning from 3–18 in a joined-up, seamless way. As a result, progression in learning can be much
stronger with a clear focus on attributes and capabilities, skills (including higher-order thinking skills), and
knowledge and understanding. These are delivered through the experiences and outcomes of the 3–15 Broad
General Education (BGE) and, at the senior phase, through programmes that build directly on the BGE leading to
qualifications. Because of a strengthened focus on the nature and quality of learning experiences, self-motivation is
likely to be increased and learners consequently more engaged and enthused. To ensure continuity and
progression, qualifications at the senior phase have been designed to embrace this unambiguous focus on highquality learning.
Curriculum for Excellence has the flexibility to meet the needs of all learners in their local circumstances, enabling
each to achieve their very best. For example, some centres may take the opportunity to offer qualifications over two
years which might involve learners bypassing qualifications at a given level, whereas others may enable learners to
work towards qualifications within one year. In both cases, the advice in this paper is relevant to the learning and
teaching approaches that learners will encounter. This paper, then, is intended to stimulate professional reflection
and dialogue about learning. It highlights important features of learning which are enhanced or different from
previous arrangements at this SCQF level.
How will you plan for progression in learning and teaching, building on the Broad General Education?
2.
What’s new and what are the implications for learning and teaching?
Music National 5 consists of three Units providing learners with the opportunity to develop and consolidate practical
skills in performing and creating music, while developing a broader understanding of music styles and concepts.
 Music: Performing Skills
 Music: Composing Skills
 Understanding Music
To achieve Music National 5, learners must pass all of the required Units including the course assessment, which
covers the added value of the course.
MUSIC
What are the key aspects of Music National 5?
Increased emphasis on skills development
Music National 5 is practical and experiential in nature and includes flexibility in the contexts for learning. It helps
learners to develop and extend their interest in music, and to develop performing skills on their two selected
instruments or on one instrument and voice. Music National 5 also provides opportunities for learners to develop
composing skills, broaden their understanding of music concepts and styles, and engage in self-reflection on their
capabilities and progress.
An example of how skills can be further developed is provided by learning to perform music, which demands skills
of autonomy, interpretation and creativity, as well as providing the opportunity to increase confidence and selfesteem. The practice required to develop these skills can promote independent and collaborative learning,
perseverance, can help learners to plan and organise, to make decisions and to take responsibility for their own
learning. The skills that learners gain throughout Music National 5 will be valuable for learning, life and work.
Wider range of evidence of learning
Building on approaches developed in the BGE, there is a focus on assessment as an integral part of learning and
teaching. Assessment should be ongoing and in dialogue with learners, and can be carried out at any point
throughout the Units.
Performing evidence will include digital recordings of individual and/or group performances. These recordings
should demonstrate the learner’s ability to play sections of music at the appropriate level of difficulty.
Creating original music through exploring sound, composing, arranging and/or improvising will be achieved through
practical work, in which learners will undertake creative activities that could be evidenced by, for example, audio
recordings, notated music and use of computer music programs. Activities should not be prescriptive and should
not in any way constrain the creative process. Some young people will need little in the way of stimuli, whereas
others will need closer instruction in techniques, such as song composition, or using improvisation to create an
instrumental piece. Evidence of how well learners understand music concepts can be found in the way they use
concepts in creative work and can explain what they have done, and the way they explain the music they are
performing using appropriate technical language. Other sources of evidence may come from specific listening
activities. In all cases, a thorough understanding of how music works is best demonstrated through using concepts
in practical contexts. Self-reflection is an integral part of Music National 5 and this may take different forms such as
a log or diary, blog or recorded interview.
Hierarchy of Units
The Units in the music courses from National 3 to Advanced Higher level are designed in a hierarchy. This means
that learners may be able to achieve and be certificated for an additional Unit at the level above the level of the
course they are studying. The hierarchical approach encourages all learners to achieve at the highest level, and
build a strong platform for further learning at the next level.
Course assessment
The course assessment considers the added value which in Music National 5 consists of two parts.
 Performance – preparing and performing a programme of music on two selected instruments or instrument and
voice.
 Question paper – demonstrating a depth of knowledge and understanding of music, music concepts, and
musical literacy developed across the Units and the course.
MUSIC
What are the key features of learning in Music National 5?
Active learning
Learners can be particularly well motivated when they perform together in multi-instrumental groups. This approach
should be used as a core approach to learning to perform, to learning creative skills and to learning how music
works. Learners will be expected to take an active role in their learning, and the practical nature of the music
course allows them to work individually and collaboratively to develop skills across all of the units. Performing on
their two instruments, or instrument and voice, provides opportunities for learners to use ongoing practice and
rehearsal to improve the quality of their technical and performance skills. The music they perform may provide
useful opportunities for shared listening experiences and should also be used as a stimulus for creative work
including composing activities.
When composing or creating their own original music, learners should be encouraged to investigate the different
ways composers develop ideas and music, explore and experiment with their own ideas, and develop their own
ideas and music. For the Understanding Music Unit, learners may be asked to research particular concepts and be
given choices as to how they wish to present the information to the class, for example, vocal music concepts could
include Gaelic Psalm, Bothy Ballad, Waulking Song and Strophic, and the presentation could include a digital
presentation with performed or recorded excerpts; vocal demonstration; or a recorded interview in the style of a
radio broadcast, for example.
Lessons should be challenging and ensure progression, and learners should play an integral part in the decisions
that shape their learning. Personalisation and choice is about much more than just choosing the instrument they
want to play. They could choose the pieces they want to practise; to play solo or in a group; the style of music they
compose in; to use technology to compose; to devise their own rehearsal schedule for home and school; to
arrange, improvise or compose music. The skills of evaluation they have developed in the BGE will help them to
analyse their own learning and decide next steps, encouraging them to take ownership of their progress and
motivating them to apply their knowledge and skills in new ways.
How can you introduce a wide variety of learning and teaching approaches which will motivate and challenge
learners?
Learning independently
Learners will have experienced both collaborative and independent learning in the BGE. In the Performing Skills
Unit of Music National 5, learners develop their independent learning skills by practising and rehearsing their own
choice of instruments or instrument and voice. This requires self-motivation, concentration, perseverance, selfreflection and individualised target setting. When creating music, learners may listen to, discuss and explore
compositional techniques and concepts as a class, then individually experiment and develop these in their own
composing tasks. By reflecting on their own composing work, and listening to the work of composers who have
written in a similar style, learners can develop and refine their musical choices.
How will you plan for progression in learning and teaching, building on the BGE, to meet the needs of a wide range
of learners?
Responsibility for learning
Learners should be expected to take responsibility for, and plan, their own learning based on an understanding of
how best they themselves learn. Regular self, peer and teacher feedback will identify areas for improvement and
next steps, and this approach could be used across all Units. Learners may find it useful to set targets and track
MUSIC
their progress in a log or diary, showing self-reflection of their strengths and areas for development. This could be
written, recorded as a voice memo on their phone, or done as a blog, for example.
As their composing skills develop, learners will gain the skills necessary to listen critically to their work and make
decisions about how best to improve it.
How will you ensure learners are making informed decisions about where they are in their learning and what they
need to do to progress?
Collaborative learning
Many music teachers have long recognised the huge benefits of collaborative approaches and the motivational
impact of performing together in groups using a blend of different instruments. When working collaboratively,
learners will develop skills of negotiation, tolerance, resilience, self-management, problem solving and aural
perception. Groups that are small in number will allow confidence and leadership abilities to grow, and will give
each member the chance to contribute their opinion. These can then grow into larger ensembles as opportunities
arise.
Collaborative approaches can be used in all parts of the music curriculum – composing, performing and
understanding music – and teachers should find innovative ways to allow this to happen.
Performing together will develop both verbal and non-verbal communication skills among learners, and evaluating
throughout will help the performance to improve. Group discussions that identify problems to be solved, and
approaches to improve them, are great ways to develop communication. With careful guidance from staff, learners
will develop appropriate language to analyse what went wrong and what the most effective solutions are. For
example, in their discussions they may identify that the drummer played too fast, the bass guitar amp was too loud
or the guitar was out of tune. Developing non-verbal communication skills (eye contact, nod) can be useful during a
performance when talking may spoil the performance.
Collaboration works very well for composition too – ideas can be tried out and discussed: one person may play a
chord sequence whilst another creates a melody to go with it; learners may listen to, discuss and identify concepts
in music, then compose their own group piece using some of the concepts they have heard; they may arrange their
own piece of music by listening to the original, downloading the notes, chords or TAB from the Internet as a starter,
then create their own cover version.
Listening to music can be a great collaborative way of working. Learners could play their chosen piece to a group,
and in the best cases would actually perform the music themselves or in groups to do this, and each individual
would write down the concepts they hear. After listening and individually taking notes, the group would then discuss
their answers, perhaps listening again to a section to clarify a point. In doing this they will be analysing the music,
using the appropriate musical language to discuss what they have heard (a prompt sheet could be given with
suggested concepts), using prior knowledge such as names of instruments and all within an enjoyable learning
environment where they have chosen and performed music that is relevant to them. These analytical skills can
then be applied to other styles and genres of music which may be less familiar to them, which will then broaden
their musical experiences. Of course, some genres will be difficult to perform live and recorded examples would be
best used in these cases.
How will you ensure learners use their initiative and work together responsibly during group tasks?
MUSIC
How will you ensure that all learners take on roles and responsibilities appropriate to their level of skill and abilities
in group tasks?
Applying learning
The skills and knowledge acquired in music will be applicable in a wide range of contexts. In a world where music
is a daily part of life for many people (radio, mp3 players, television theme tunes and adverts, for example) the
course will help develop a depth of understanding and appreciation for music, in addition to practical and creative
skills.
Listening skills will develop throughout the BGE in all areas of the course – as learners practise they should be
learning to listen to their tuning, tone, dynamics, rhythms; as they are experimenting and composing with sound
they should be listening to the shape of the melodies, the effectiveness of the harmonies, the flow of the
accompaniment parts. These listening skills can be further developed in many useful and imaginative ways in the
Understanding Music Unit.
The question paper will draw on skills developed across all of the three units, and will assess knowledge and
understanding of level-specific concepts, music literacy and analysis of music. The performance will require the
ability to perform music and respond to others in solo and/or in groups; the ability to maintain musical flow and
realise the composer’s intentions; and the ability to evaluate their own performing skills, and identify areas for
improvement.
Links with other curriculum areas, such as expressive arts and English, can help learners apply and make
connections in their learning. For example, a poem, painting or film could be the stimulus for composition; a drama
production may require live music to be performed; or a dance class may ask for a minimalist piece of music to be
composed for them to dance to.
How can you ensure that learners can access opportunities to apply their learning in other curriculum areas?
MUSIC
3.
Qualification information
The SQA website provides you with the following documents:
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Assessment Overview
Course Specification
Unit Specification
Support Notes
Course Assessment Specification
Unit Assessment Support Packages
Full information on arrangements for this qualification is available at the SQA website:
Music National 5: http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/47391.html
4.
What other materials are available on the Education Scotland website which staff
could use?
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqmusic/index.asp
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nationalqualifications/subjects/music.asp
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/curriculumareas/expressivearts/principlesan
dpractice/index.asp
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningteachingandassessment/curriculumareas/expressivearts/index.asp
Support materials have been produced over the last year to support Curriculum for Excellence and further support
materials and events are planned. This downloadable list is updated quarterly with the most up-to-date details
available from the page below.
Published and planned support for Curriculum for Excellence:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/publishedandplannedsupport
T +44 (0)141 282 5000 E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk W www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Education Scotland, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA
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