7–10Music 7–10 Syllabus (2024)
The new Music 7–10 Syllabus (2024) is to be implemented from 2026 and will replace the Music 7–10 Syllabus (2003).
2025 – Plan and prepare to teach the new syllabus
2026 – Start teaching the new syllabus
School sectors are responsible for implementing syllabuses and are best placed to provide schools with specific guidance and information on implementation given their understanding of their individual contexts. Schools may choose to implement the new syllabus during the planning and preparation phase.
Content
Stage 4
The list of elements is not a list of essential content. Teachers should select appropriate elements of music relevant to the repertoire and the interests and needs of the students.
Beat and the absence of beat
Tempo
Note/rest values
Rhythms
Metre such as simple and compound
Rhythmic devices such as syncopation, ostinato, backbeat, free rhythm, cycles
Higher and lower
Definite and indefinite
Direction and contour
Steps, leaps and repeated notes
Tonality such as pentatonic, modal, major, minor
Melody
Harmony
Chord progressions that may include chords such as I (tonic), IV (subdominant), V (dominant), V7(dominant seventh)
Pitch devices such as ostinato, riff, drone
Methods of notating pitch such as graphic notation, treble and bass clef, tablature
Density such as thick or thin
Identification of layers of sound
Roles of layers of sound such as melodic, harmonic, rhythmic
Types of texture such as monophonic, homophonic, polyphonic
Performing media/sound sources such as voices, instruments, electronic, natural
Sound production methods such as blowing, plucking, scraping, strumming, shaking
Timbral descriptions such as nasal, metallic
Dynamics including gradations such as forte, diminuendo
Articulations such as legato, accent
Expressive techniques by specific performing media such as pizzicato, slap
Electronic manipulation techniques such as distortion, delay
Expressive directions and associated terminology
Macrostructures such as verse–chorus, binary, cyclic form
Microstructures such as riff, phrase, motif, ostinato