7–10Music 7–10 Syllabus
The new Music 7–10 Syllabus (2024) is to be implemented from 2026.
2024 and 2025 – Plan and prepare to teach the new syllabus
2026 – Start teaching 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.
Content
Stage 5
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.
Increasingly complex note/rest values such as triplets, duplets, dotted
Mixed metre
Increasingly complex rhythmic patterns including uneven groupings
Increasingly complex rhythmic devices such as up-beat/anacrusis, polyrhythm, cross-rhythm, swung rhythms, diminution, augmentation
Melodic devices such as sequence, melisma, chromaticism, motif, ornamentation
Scales such as blues, whole-tone, chromatic, raga, heptatonic, maqam
Harmonic devices such as consonance, dissonance, cadences, extended chords, modulation, pedal point
Instrument, style or technology-specific methods of notating pitch such as lead-sheet, chord chart, sargam, gamelan cipher, digital audio workstation, piano roll
Textural characteristics such as density, type and roles of layers
Interaction of layers through textural devices such as: unison, doubling, imitation, call and response, canon, counter-melody, contrary motion
Combinations of performing media such as small and large ensembles
Effect of range and register, expressive techniques and/or electronic manipulation on timbre
Directions indicating vocal and instrumental techniques
Dynamics including gradations such as niente, sforzando
Articulations such as tenuto, marcato, portato
Expressive techniques by specific performing media such as palm muting, flutter-tonguing
Electronic manipulation techniques such as looping, compression, sustain
Expressive directions and associated terminology
Macrostructures such as strophic, sonata form, multi-movement
Microstructures such as sequences, head, colotomic
Relationship of structures and style
Relationship of structures and the development of musical material
Musical devices to support structure