Listening with discrimination
Discriminating listening means noticing specific detail — not just whether you like a piece, but why it works the way it does.
Part of your national curriculum
- Listening and appraising: Listen with increasing discrimination to a wide range of music from great composers and musicians
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Listen with increasing discrimination to a wide range of music from great composers and musicians
Key learning points
- • What to listen for
- • A wide range of sources
- • Comparing and evaluating
This lesson at a glance
- 22 minutes
- 17 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 17
Visual introductionPicture this
Listening with discrimination
Discriminating listening means noticing specific detail — not just whether you like a piece, but why it works the way it does.
In a nutshell
Listen with increasing discrimination to a wide range of music from great composers and musicians
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 17
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · What to listen for
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 17
Learn
What to listen for
Instead of a vague reaction, listen for specific features: instrumentation, tempo changes, dynamic contrast, repeated themes, and how a piece is structured (such as verse-chorus or theme and variations).
Reset break
Part 4 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 17
Learn
A wide range of sources
Discriminating listening across genres and eras — from Baroque composers like Bach, to Romantic composers like Beethoven, to jazz musicians like Ella Fitzgerald, to contemporary artists — builds a broader sense of what music can do.
Quick check
Part 6 of 17
Quick check
Part 7 of 17
Reset break
Part 8 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 17
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Comparing and evaluating
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 17
Learn
Comparing and evaluating
Comparing two performances of the same piece, or two pieces from different eras, sharpens your ear. Ask what choices each musician made and why, rather than simply deciding which you 'like best'.
Quick check
Part 11 of 17
Reset break
Part 12 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 13 of 17
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 14 of 17
Game · Fill the gaps
Finish the sentences
Choose the word that belongs in each gap.
Instead of a vague reaction, ____ for specific features: instrumentation, tempo changes, dynamic contrast, repeated themes, and how a piece is structured (such as verse-chorus or theme and variations).
Challenge round
Part 15 of 17
Game · Recall cards
A piece gets gradually louder over eight bars. Which term describes this?
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 16 of 17
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Listening with discrimination
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. A piece gets gradually louder over eight bars. Which term describes this?
2. What does 'discriminating' listening mean in music?
3. Which is an example of a Baroque composer?
4. Why compare two performances of the same piece?
Lesson round-up
Part 17 of 17
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Points this lesson
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Best run
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Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 17 · Watch & discover
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Listen with increasing discrimination to a wide range of music from great composers and musicians