Instruments are for Everyone! Casey Medlin TCDA 2016 Want to use instruments more often in your classroom, but don t know where to start? I m here to help. The purpose of this session is to give you tips on how to start using instruments in your rooms tomorrow! Unpitched Percussion (UPP) o Can be used as ornaments - There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly o Teacher sings through the story 1 student each chooses sounds for each animal Students play their instrument every time they hear their animal called repeat with new students Can also be used for ostinati See Saw (avoid parallel rhythms) Teach song Students sing while teacher pats or claps a 4 beat ostinato Teacher sings and students pat Half class sings other half pats then switch Add instruments continue half class sing other play then switch All sing and play at the same time Extension add a second ostinato Extension 2 students make up their own 4 beat ostinato
UPP 1 UPP 2 Pitched Percussion o Xylophones and Metallophone How to hold mallets Sign language letter A Thumbprint covering tape (at the balance point) Fingers loosely wrap around Triangle in the air Triangle down Elbows out Yarn down Bounce on the middle of the bar ***Don t allow students to point their fingers while playing it keeps their mallets from bouncing off the bar. Also, make sure sticks don t hit the side of the bar.*** On removing bars Grab the top and grab the bottom and lift straight up do not bend the peg There are 4 basic borduns (ostinato accompaniment of tonic and dominant) that can be played over any pentatonic song. They are listed in order of difficulty: Chord Bordun
Broken Bordun Level Bordun - Split between instruments AX and BX, for example
Crossover Bordun o Half Crossover o Full Crossover ***When you are teaching these patterns, make sure you are mirroring what you want the children to do. **
Full Orchestration Drums o There are 2 basic ways to play with or without mallets (soft mallets) o Younger students will find it easier to use a mallet usually aren t ready to play with 2 hands o Older students can use their hands. Fingertips on the edge of the head for a high sound and palm of an open hand in the middle of the head for a low sound.
o Make sure the students bounce off the head to allow the sound drum to resonate. Put them all together! o Use full orchestration with UPP or teach musical elements o Try to give everyone a chance to play. o The more instruments you have, the better. o If you don t have enough for everyone students can share or rotate. o Aim to have one instrument per 4 students. o Students might not always get to play the one they want, but they will get to play something. Use instruments to teach the elements of music o Dynamics Students play based on the movements of a student conductor Hold up a poster labeled with a dynamic marking for students to play on their instruments o Tempo Students play based on the movements of a student conductor Marco Polo Students sit against the wall. One student chooses an instrument to play. A different, blindfolded student says Marco. The instrument replies back by playing any tempo. To win, the blindfolded student must find and identify the tempo played. Teacher guidance to make sure no one gets hurt. o Timbre What s that instrument? Hide known instruments behind a music stand while one student chooses one to play. Class must identify the chosen instrument based on timbre. Naughty Kitty Cat For each phrase, have a different timbre play. Use 4 different UPP instruments or use xylophones, metallophones, drums, and shakers. o High vs. Low Up, Down, and Around by Katherine Ayres Read the book and have the students play with the directions. Glissando up, glissando down, stir xylophone or maracas for around Discuss how bigger instruments made lower sounds and smaller instruments make higher sounds (the three L s: lower, larger, left)