Season Three
Episode 80
Drumming within the Orff Approach
Sing. Say. Dance. Play. Four words that are used to describe the music-making done within the Orff approach. Drumming is a fantastic way to incorporate both the 'say' and 'play' aspects of the Orff-Schulwerk. My students love drumming because it's physical, rhythmic, and fun. I love it for the same reasons. There are multiple ways to incorporate drumming into your classroom. And one of the best ways is using speech! If they can speak it, they can drum it. If the speech is inaccurate (rhythmically), the playing will be too. It's important to start with the words first before students ever touch the drum.
With younger students, being able to play a simple poem or the rhythm of a piece that they already know is a nice extension. Let's take the song 'Apple Tree.'
APPLE TREE
Process:
1- Speak the words
2 - Tap the words using two fingers on one hand and tapping the palm of the other hand
3 - Pat the words on your lap
4 - Play the poem/words on 'tone' on the drum.
Not every student needs to play a drum every time. If you only have a few drums, this can still work! All students speak the words, tap the words with their hands, and pat the words on their lap. When it comes time for students to play the poem on the drum, whichever students don't have a drum in front of them can pat their lap instead. Then rotate!
For another extension, add a simple ostinato. Here's an option:
Ta Ta Ta (rest)
You might use the text: Ap-ple Tree (rest) to teach it.
Students speak the ostinato as a class while the teacher speaks the poem. Then switch parts
1/2 class speaks poem and 1/2 class speaks ostinato. Then switch parts.
Add drums and play in the same way.
For more layers, add other unpitched percussion instruments. Maybe a guiro plays the first beat of each phrase. Simple is just as meaningful as complex pieces when done well and young students can make beautiful music. Out of this simple song/poem could come a musical piece for a performance.
Apple Tree Form Idea:
1. Sing the song
2. Speak the text in rhythm
3. Play the ostinato on the drum
4. Some students play the ostinato while some students speak the text
5. Combine the ostinato and poem on drums
6. Add the guiro part to the ostinato and poem on drums
7. Everyone speaks the poem together
8. Everyone speaks and plays a final beat together on the word 'out' to end the piece
GALLOPING ROUND THE TRACK
In the upper elementary and middle school grades, students can play more complex pieces. Sometimes when I'm wanting a specific piece for a specific concept and I can't find a resource that fits what I need, I compose songs for my students to play. What's great about this is the opportunity to get feedback from students about the piece.
For this piece I composed the three drum parts and then once it was taught to students, they helped to create parts for the cowbell. I created this piece for my students because I wanted a new piece in a meter of 6/8. More specifically I wanted a piece that had levels of difficulty so that I could challenge some of my students who were ready to use triplet patterns of Bass-Tone-Tone while giving students who struggle the opportunity to have a simpler pattern in the bass line.
The poem would be played by your highest pitched drums. I have the small tubanos and quintos play this.
(Having difficulty getting this rhythm to attach right - click on the Slides Presentation to see it!)
Episode 80
Drumming within the Orff Approach
Sing. Say. Dance. Play. Four words that are used to describe the music-making done within the Orff approach. Drumming is a fantastic way to incorporate both the 'say' and 'play' aspects of the Orff-Schulwerk. My students love drumming because it's physical, rhythmic, and fun. I love it for the same reasons. There are multiple ways to incorporate drumming into your classroom. And one of the best ways is using speech! If they can speak it, they can drum it. If the speech is inaccurate (rhythmically), the playing will be too. It's important to start with the words first before students ever touch the drum.With younger students, being able to play a simple poem or the rhythm of a piece that they already know is a nice extension. Let's take the song 'Apple Tree.'
APPLE TREE
Process:
1- Speak the words
2 - Tap the words using two fingers on one hand and tapping the palm of the other hand
3 - Pat the words on your lap
4 - Play the poem/words on 'tone' on the drum.
Not every student needs to play a drum every time. If you only have a few drums, this can still work! All students speak the words, tap the words with their hands, and pat the words on their lap. When it comes time for students to play the poem on the drum, whichever students don't have a drum in front of them can pat their lap instead. Then rotate!
For another extension, add a simple ostinato. Here's an option:
Ta Ta Ta (rest)
You might use the text: Ap-ple Tree (rest) to teach it.
Students speak the ostinato as a class while the teacher speaks the poem. Then switch parts
1/2 class speaks poem and 1/2 class speaks ostinato. Then switch parts.
Add drums and play in the same way.
For more layers, add other unpitched percussion instruments. Maybe a guiro plays the first beat of each phrase. Simple is just as meaningful as complex pieces when done well and young students can make beautiful music. Out of this simple song/poem could come a musical piece for a performance.
Apple Tree Form Idea:
1. Sing the song
2. Speak the text in rhythm
3. Play the ostinato on the drum
4. Some students play the ostinato while some students speak the text
5. Combine the ostinato and poem on drums
6. Add the guiro part to the ostinato and poem on drums
7. Everyone speaks the poem together
8. Everyone speaks and plays a final beat together on the word 'out' to end the piece
GALLOPING ROUND THE TRACK
In the upper elementary and middle school grades, students can play more complex pieces. Sometimes when I'm wanting a specific piece for a specific concept and I can't find a resource that fits what I need, I compose songs for my students to play. What's great about this is the opportunity to get feedback from students about the piece.
For this piece I composed the three drum parts and then once it was taught to students, they helped to create parts for the cowbell. I created this piece for my students because I wanted a new piece in a meter of 6/8. More specifically I wanted a piece that had levels of difficulty so that I could challenge some of my students who were ready to use triplet patterns of Bass-Tone-Tone while giving students who struggle the opportunity to have a simpler pattern in the bass line.
The poem would be played by your highest pitched drums. I have the small tubanos and quintos play this.
High Drum:
The second part I would teach would be the bass line.
The final part would be to add a complementary rhythm on the medium drums. All ‘woahs’ would be played on the bass and the hold ‘em backs are all played on the tone.
For section B, a nice contrast would be to incorporate body percussion patterns. Personally, I like it without the bass line on the drums, but it is an option that could work. I recommend using #65 from Rhythmische Ubung on page 19. I teach the body percussion through imitation (no speech). You could use the bass line of the drum parts in section A as a transition to the body percussion section for section B and then use the bass line of the drum parts again as a transition back to the drums if desired.
TI-TIKA DRUM
Slides Presentation
A second piece that I wrote was as a result of wanting students to focus on the Ti-Tika rhythm. We were singing songs with it, playing games, and playing it in recorder pieces, but I didn't have a drum piece that really demonstrated the pattern in a purposeful and obvious way. I named it 'Ti-Tika Drum' (so original!). I teach the low drum part first.
Low Drum:
TI-TIKA DRUM
Slides Presentation
A second piece that I wrote was as a result of wanting students to focus on the Ti-Tika rhythm. We were singing songs with it, playing games, and playing it in recorder pieces, but I didn't have a drum piece that really demonstrated the pattern in a purposeful and obvious way. I named it 'Ti-Tika Drum' (so original!). I teach the low drum part first.
Low Drum:
The medium drum is taught next. Students found it to be the easiest. The ti-tika rhythm works nicely to help prep rotating ‘triplet’ pattern feel of bass-tone-tone.
The high drum part was taught last instead of first. We learned it by reading the rhythms. All is played on tones
(Having difficulty getting this rhythm to attach right - click on the Slides Presentation to see it!)
Add other percussion parts - Surdo drum with quarter note/quarter rest repeating pattern. Add cowbell - focus on a syncopated rhythm with lots of rests to syncopate against the steady rhythms. The rests are the important part. The high drum is busy so it’s important to not have a lot of other things going on in addition to it.
I’ll have the two pieces I wrote available for free on the blog! Feel free to use them in your classrooms and if you do, I’d love to hear how it goes.
Happy Drumming!
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