Fun With Percussion - Several Great Activities For Your Music Lessons By Tom Morrell

About the Author: Tom Morrell has a PGCE in Music from Homerton College, Cambridge and many years of teaching experience in the UK. For other ideas and to find out how to supplement your humble teacher's income, visit http://www.steprightthisway.com

Equipment:

Although you could (just about) do some of the activities using only clapping hands, you really need a variety of percussion instruments. They could be home-made or improvised - there's no need to spend thousands for this lesson. However, in the long run, if you're going to be using your instruments a lot, it's better to invest in robust, well constructed, pleasant sounding kit than cheap flimsy imitations!

Preparation:

Arrange chairs in a big circle. Set aside one chair for yourself. If you have enough instruments for the whole class, put one in front of each chair. The children will be using their hands to play. You, the teacher, should ideally have a cowbell and a beater.

If you don't have enough instruments, place them in front of every second (or third) chair around the circle. You can get everyone to move around after each round of the game, so the instrument distribution will be fair.

Straight Imitation:

Play a repeating pattern, or riff (or ostinato) on your cowbell. Ask the children to join in with it. They will probably all imitate what you're doing, which is fine. Try the same thing with other different patterns, using different time signatures, dynamics and tempos. Stop and discuss what you've done.

Superimposing a second layer:

Get the children to put down their instruments. Ask an able pupil to pick up his/her drum and play a repeating pattern. You then demonstrate how, for a more interesting effect, you can add something different which will fit in with and enhance the original riff. Demonstrate several different ideas while the pupil keeps going.  

I could give examples - but really it has to be spontaneous and it has to come from you. Anything that isn't an identical rhythm will do!

Getting in the groove:

You begin with a different ostinato and invite the children - maybe one by one - to join in with different ideas that fit in. Inevitably some will just copy you and some will copy each other. That doesn't matter. The aim is to get a successful groove going.

It doesn't matter if it changes as you go along - and it always does. There could be problems with some pupils who seem unable to keep in time or play quietly, but by stopping and discussing what works well and what doesn't, you will get a substantial improvement. The rewarding part comes when everyone locks together in a tight collection of rhythms. You will know when that happens, and hopefully the pupils will notice too. The effect becomes hypnotic and you have a groove!

Variations:

Give several different pupils a chance to begin the process. Have a signal to stop (maybe several loud fast beats on your cowbell). If a piece just isn't working, stop and divert attention from your pupil's rhythmic inadequacies with tactful humour.

You could get some pupils to take turns as conductors: they signal to individual players or groups to start, stop, be quieter, take solos, etc etc... Stop and discuss how it's going. Change pupils' roles. Divide the pupils into smaller groups and send them off to develop their own pieces. As well as establishing a tight groove, you could ask them to include changes of rhythm, dynamics, texture and tempo in their group compositions. Have fun!