The Big Question
Help your students discover the building blocks of composition with this fun and simple notation activity.
Students will explore:
- Musical questions and answers (antecedent and consequent phrases)
- Ternary form (ABA) by creating a contrasting middle section
- The tonic (home note) by learning how to give a piece a satisfying ending
The creative process begins with a title! Students imagine a big question they might have about the world around them and use it as inspiration for their composition:
What’s for dinner?
Why is the sky blue?
Do fish get thirsty?
This playful step helps make each composition more personal, sparks creativity, and often brings a few smiles along the way. Write the question on the line at the top of the page.
After choosing a title, students follow the guided prompts to build their own composition. They create a musical question in the first two measures and a musical answer to complete the phrase. Then they repeat the question in measures 5–6 with a new answer, add a contrasting middle idea, and return to their original idea in measure 13-14 to complete the ABA form—ending on the tonic, their musical “home.” Be sure to add tempo instructions and dynamic markings too!
A creative and approachable way to introduce composition building blocks while helping students discover that they can be composers too!
This free resource was created for the TopMusic Piano Podcast community and anyone else interested in using it. Enjoy!
- Format: PDF Instant Download
- Pages: 5 Worksheet Pages & Cover Art
- Level: All levels and ages
- Terms of Use: Studio License
From my hands to yours, Enjoy!
Studio License: Permission is granted to the original purchaser to print copies for his or her own private students. Sharing digital or physical copies of this work for any other purpose, including resale, is prohibited.