Music
G3N tutors you through the full International Music syllabus offline — from Exploring sound: loud/soft, fast/slow, high/low, Pulse and steady beat, Simple rhythmic patterns: clapping and body percussion and more — with adaptive lessons, instant quizzes, flashcards and exam-ready summaries.
Syllabus
What you’ll cover in Music.
The complete topic outline G3N teaches, mapped to the International curriculum.
Phase 1 (KG)
10 topicsExploring sound: loud/soft, fast/slow, high/low
Pulse and steady beat
Simple rhythmic patterns: clapping and body percussion
Songs and chants from different cultures
Distinguishing between singing voice and speaking voice
Movement to music: responding to mood and tempo
Simple percussion instruments: shakers, drums, bells
Recognising familiar songs
Call and response patterns
Basic dynamics: forte (loud) and piano (soft)
Phase 2 (Grades 1-2)
10 topicsPitch: melodic contour (up, down, same)
Rhythm notation: quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, eighth notes
Time signatures: 2/4 and 4/4
Melodic patterns: do-re-mi and pentatonic scales
Simple two-part singing and partner songs
Introduction to orchestral instrument families (strings, woodwind, brass, percussion)
Listening maps: following music visually
Music from different cultures: folk songs and dances
Improvising short melodic phrases
Creating music to tell a simple story
Phase 3 (Grades 3-4)
11 topicsReading and writing standard rhythmic notation
Treble clef and reading basic pitches
Major and minor tonality (sound and feel)
Canon and round singing
Introduction to harmony: I, IV, V chords
Form: AB, ABA, rondo
Music history: Baroque, Classical, Romantic periods (introduction)
Listening and analysis: describing music using correct vocabulary
Composing short pieces using graphic or standard notation
Instruments of the world: West African drumming, Indian sitar, South American pan flute
Ostinato accompaniments
Phase 4 (Grades 5-6)
12 topicsAdvanced rhythm: dotted notes, syncopation, compound time (6/8)
Reading treble and bass clef
Scales: major, natural minor, pentatonic, blues
Chord progressions and basic harmony
Music theory: intervals, triads, inversions
Ensemble playing: melody, harmony, and accompaniment roles
Music technology: introduction to digital audio workstations (DAWs)
World music in depth: gamelan, mbira, samba
Composing with a given structure and constraints
Analysing music: texture, timbre, structure, dynamics
Musical styles: jazz, blues, classical, pop — similarities and differences
Performance preparation: rehearsal strategies and stagecraft
MYP 1 (Grade 6)
10 topicsMusic as a form of communication
Elements of music: melody, rhythm, harmony, texture, timbre, dynamics, form
Standard notation: pitch and rhythm reading
Major scales and key signatures
Basic chord construction and guitar/keyboard accompaniment
Listening and responding: describing and evaluating music
Introduction to world music traditions
Composing with limited resources (pentatonic, set rhythms)
Performing in a small ensemble
Introduction to music technology: GarageBand/Soundtrap
MYP 2 (Grade 7)
10 topicsMusic in cultural and historical contexts
Blues and jazz: origins, structure (12-bar blues), improvisation
Minor scales and modes
Harmony: diatonic chords, cadences
Texture: monophony, homophony, polyphony
Music of Africa: polyrhythm, call-and-response, social functions
Composing in a given style
Recording and basic audio editing
Developing performance technique on instrument of choice
Peer critique and giving constructive feedback
MYP 3 (Grade 8)
10 topicsMusic in its social and political context
Popular music analysis: structure, production, influence
Harmony: secondary dominants, extended chords
Music of Asia: Indian classical raga system, Chinese opera
Film music: leitmotif, synchronisation, mood
Improvisation: blues scale, call-and-response solos
Composing for an audience: purpose and context
Multi-track recording and mixing basics
Performance: extended technique and musical expression
Music and identity: how music reflects culture and values
MYP 4-5 (Grades 9-10)
11 topicsMusic for personal and artistic expression
Music theory: modulation, chromaticism, seventh chords
20th-century music: serialism, minimalism, electronic music
Music of the Americas: bossa nova, cumbia, blues-rock
Ethnomusicology: researching and presenting a music tradition
Advanced composition: extended forms, program music
Studio production: sound design, synthesis, sampling
Developing a personal performance repertoire
Music criticism: writing analytical and evaluative commentary
Project: creating, performing, and presenting an original composition
Preparing for DP assessment: exploring music in context
Listening to and analysing music in context
11 topicsMusical perception: active listening and critical analysis
Music history: tracing the development of a genre or tradition
World music depth study: at least two contrasting musical cultures
Musical meaning: how context shapes interpretation
Comparative analysis of pieces across time and place
Music and identity: social, political, religious, and cultural roles
Listening journal: annotated responses to a broad repertoire
Transcription and notation of music from recordings
Formal analysis: structure, form, harmonic language
Research skills: sourcing, evaluating, and citing musicological evidence
(HL) Extended musicological research project linking multiple contexts
Composing and creating music
11 topicsCompositional techniques: melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, timbre
Stylistic composition: composing in the style of a historical or world tradition
Improvisation: developing melodic and rhythmic spontaneity
Harmonic experimentation: modal writing, extended chords, non-diatonic harmony
Electronic and technology-based creation: DAW production, synthesis, sampling
Process documentation: recording decisions, revisions, and reflections
Cross-cultural fusion: combining elements from different traditions
Song-writing: lyrics, melody, harmonic structure, form
Arranging and orchestration for different ensembles
Receiving and acting on feedback in the creative process
(HL) Extended experimental work developing a distinctive compositional voice
Performing and presenting music
11 topicsSolo performance preparation: repertoire selection and technique
Ensemble performance: ensemble roles, balance, blend, communication
Stagecraft: presentation, communication with audience
Directing: conducting, cueing, shaping ensemble sound
Programme notes: contextualising performance for an audience
Recording and audio production of a performance
Self-assessment and critical reflection on live performance
Peer assessment and constructive critique
The three learner roles: creator, performer, researcher
Integrating multiple roles within an artistic project
(HL) Extended recital or directed ensemble project with in-depth documentation
Realising a music project for a real-world context (HL only)
7 topicsRealising music for a specified real-world context or brief (HL)
Defining an intention, audience and purpose for the project (HL)
Drawing on the roles of researcher, creator and performer together (HL)
Creating and curating the musical material for the project (HL)
Presenting the project as a multimedia presentation (HL)
Justifying artistic and practical decisions in a rationale (HL)
Evaluating the effectiveness of the finished project (HL)
How G3N helps
Turn this syllabus into a pass.
Concept-led learning
Lessons that match inquiry-based, conceptual international curricula rather than rote answers.
Practice on demand
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Summarise anything
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