Soft Rock Lesson

1. RUTHERFORD TECHNOLOGY HIGH
Class 8T Stage Stage 4
Curriculum Area Music Period Period 4
Topic Soft Rock Date 12/08/2016
Teacher Miss C. Davis
Desired Results
Syllabus Outcomes:
4.4 Demonstrates an understanding of musical concepts through exploring, experimenting, improvising, organising,
arranging and composing
4.7 Demonstrates an understanding of musical concepts through listening, observing, responding, discriminating,
analysing, discussing and recording musical ideas
4.8 Demonstrates an understanding of musical concepts through aural identification and discussion of the features of a
range of repertoire
4.9 Demonstrates musical literacy through the use of notation, terminology, and the reading and interpreting of scores
used in the music selected for study
Understandings:
Students will understand that…
 Soft Rock is a mixture of many styles of the
overall Rock genre
 The features of Soft Rock are understated
 The connections between Soft Rock artists are
very similar in their styles
 Soft Rock uses very lyrical and expressive
melodies in their songs – focusing heavily on
Candle in the Wind by Elton John
Essential Questions:
 What aspects of Soft Rock are different to the rock
genre in general?
 Who is the song Candle in the Wind about?
 Why do you think Elton John chose to write about
this person?
 How does the music aid in portraying the
composers view of this person? Think about the
concepts of music
Students will know…
 The history of Soft Rock – what is specific about
it and how it came to be
o Started around the 1970’s
o Mixture of many styles
o Aimed at those who didn’t like a
 The features of Soft Rock
o Melodic
o Gentle tempo
o Often no drums, or soft drums
o Acoustic instruments
Students will be able to…
 Identify the features of Soft Rock within a related
song – Candle in the Wind
 Answer questions specific to the song analysis and
using the information discussed on Soft Rock in
the lesson
Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s):
 PowerPoint – students to copy points down
 Identifying nouns, verbs, adjectives within the
song lyrics
Other Evidence:
 Class discussion
Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
1. Open the lesson with the reflective question: “What do you think Soft Rock music is?”  this should identify
the students who can recall previous learning and also help to refresh those students who may have missed out or
need bringing up to speed. This also prepares students for new information, and helps to connect previous
learning and new learning. (5mins)
2. Outline what the lesson will involve, and what will be expected of students  Explain the activities they will be
engaging with and what level of involvement is needed (5mins)
3. Introduce Soft Rock as a subtopic to Rock Music. Do any students know what Soft Rock is? Can they name any
bands? (10mins)
4. Students to explain what they understand about the points on the PowerPoint. Students are to write down in their
workbooks these points. What aspects do they predict they will hear of Soft Rock in the song? (5mins)
5. Listening Activity – students are given an overall listening to Candle in the Wind. Ask them to really listen to
the lyrics and the style of each section. Go through each question as a class. (25mins)
6. Quick recap of lesson and then students are allowed to leave

2. Soft rock

3. History of Soft Rock
• Became popular in the 1970’s
• Mixture of many styles:
• Ballad
• Folk Rock
• Country Music
• Teen Pop
• Music was light and aimed at people who did not
like the extremes of heavy rock and art rock

4. Features of Soft Rock
• Emphasis on the melody à songs were
catch and easy to sing
• Gentle, relaxed speed à easy listening
• Gentle drum beat, sometimes no drums
at all
• Acoustic instruments à piano, guitar

5. Soft Rock Artists
• Elton John
• ABBA
• Neil Young
• The Carpenters
• Fleetwood Mac

6. Elton John
• Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in 1947
• At age 15, became a weekend pianist at a
local pub
• Has won multiple prestigious awards
• BRIT award
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Lifelong Achievement Award
• Grammy Award (5 in total)

7. Candle in the Wind
• Very good example of the Ballad style
• Song is about a very famous actress à see if you can guess who!
• Personal perspective of her life

8. Candle in the Wind

9. Listening Questions
Who is Norma Jean?
Marilyn Monroe
Why is this person famous?
They were an actress
What is the drum beat like? Is it fast or slow, simple or complex?
It is a simple rhythm at a moderate tempo

10. Is the beat important in this song?
Yes it is, it keeps the music moving and gives it a sense of time
Which other instruments can you hear accompanying the song?
Guitars – electric/acoustic/bass, Vocals – background
What happens to the melody in the chorus? How many voices can you hear?
The melody rises in pitch, reaching it’s peak at the line “And I would have liked to
have known you but I was just a kid.” Main vocal line with three backing vocals enter
at the chorus.
Is this a dancing or listening song?
This is a listening song. The ballad style with a slower beat and simple piano
accompaniment make it easy to listen to.

11. Billy Joel
• Born William Martin ’Billy’ Joel in
1949
• Most famous for:
• Piano Man
• Uptown Girl

12. Piano Man
• What instruments can you hear?
• Is it a fast or slow tempo?
• What story do the lyrics portray?

13. Keyboard

14. Practical Activity
1. Using the music provided and the keyboards, have a go at playing Piano
Man
2. Make sure you are starting on the right note – ask for help if you need it!
3. How is the Left Hand moving? Is it moving in steps, skips or leaps? Which
direction is it moving? Ascending or descending (Up or down)?

15. "Candle In The Wind"
Verse 1
Goodbye, Norma Jean, though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself while those around you crawled
They crawled out of the woodwork and they whispered into your brain
They set you on the treadmill and they made you change your name
Chorus
And it seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to when the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you but I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did
Verse 2
Loneliness was tough, the toughest role you ever played
Hollywood created a superstar and pain was the price you paid
Even when you died. Oh the press still hounded you
All the papers had to say was that Marilyn was found in the nude
Chorus
And it seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to when the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you but I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did
Verse 3
Goodbye, Norma Jean, though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself while those around you crawled
Goodbye Norma Jean from the young man in the 22nd row
Who sees you as something as more than sexual, more than just our Marilyn
Monroe
Chorus
And it seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to when the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you but I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did

16. Listening Questions
1. Who is Norma Jean?
2. Why is this person famous?
3. What is the drum beat like? Is it fast or slow, simple or
complex?
4. Is the beat important in this song?
5. Which other instruments can you hear accompanying the
song?
6. What happens to the melody in the chorus? How many voices
can you hear?
7. Is this a dancing or listening song?