Body Percussion:

Sing, Say, Move, & Play!

Presented at the Colorado Music Educators

Association Convention

January 28, 2016

Julie Scott, Presenter scottj@smu.edu

c. 2016 Julie K. Scott

Permission is granted to use these materials in the classroom setting only.

Any unauthorized use of these materials in a workshop or public setting with adults is prohibited.

I. “We’ve Come Together to Sing” By Daniel Geisler, Inspired by Avon Gillespie Adapted by Julie Scott A. Perform the entire piece as the students observe. B. Learn and sing the melody without the body percussion.

C. Model and have the students imitate clap, pats on the shoulders, pats on

legs, and stamps. (Note: Model this in a “static,” way, rather than using the rhythm for now. This allows the students to practice the sequence of the body percussion slowly.)

D. Perform the body percussion for phrases 1, 2, and 4 in rhythm with a slower tempo.

E. Sing phrases 1 and 2 with the body percussion. F. Work on the body percussion for phrase 3—It’s different! G. Sing phrase 3 with the body percussion, then phrase 4 with the first

pattern. H. Perform the entire piece.

I. Transfer the stamp, leg pat, shoulder pat, and clap to drums of 4 different sizes (smallest to largest.) Have 4 students hold the drums, while another plays them with mallets.

J. Transfer the snaps to triangles. K. Perform the song with instruments. L. Trade partners and perform the piece again. M. On another day, you can add an improvisation section. The students who

play the drums can take turns playing improvisations. There might even be choreography that allows the players to switch from drum holder to player with mallets while another person is improvising. How will we include the triangle players?

N. Decide on a final form, and perform the entire piece.

II. Introduce the Four Levels of Body Percussion A. Warm up by echoing selected body percussion patterns. B. The 4 levels of body percussion that are used in traditional Orff settings

are: Stamp Patschen (Pat) Clap Snap C. Imitate body percussion patterns. D. Things to keep in mind when performing body percussion:

1. Body percussion can be very musical! Relax, and play gently and fluidly. Remember that your students will imitate what you model.

2. Use only two levels of body percussion (i.e. clap and patsch or stamp and clap) when your students are beginning. As they become more adept at performing the patterns, add a third, then a fourth level. Generally speaking:

• 1st graders can be successful with clapping or clapping and patting. • 2nd graders can begin with clapping and patting and progress to

three levels by the end of the year by adding snapping. • By the end of third grade, students can begin using the four levels

of body percussion. 3. When leading body percussion patterns for your students to

imitate, remember that as you move between levels it is easier to move every two or four beats. Moving from one level to another on every beat is difficult and often unmusical.

4. When leading body percussion patterns, begin with four-beat patterns, and change to eight-beat patterns when the students are ready.

5. Sixteenth notes and consecutive eighth notes will be performed most effectively by patting or, in some cases, snapping. These durations are more precise and musical when played by two hands.

6. You can make body percussion more musical by performing and showing: Dynamics, Articulation, Phrasing, Note Durations

III. “Let the Concert Start!”   From Rhythmische Übung by Gunild Keetman p. 23, #78 Text by Julie Scott: Let the concert start! Let the concert start! And we shall all perform our very best until we’re done. Let the concert start! Let the concert start! And we shall all perform our very, very best! OR

Hope the Broncos WIN! Hope the Broncos WIN! Next week! Next week! Next weekend—Sunday in the Super Bowl! Hope the Broncos WIN! Hope the Broncos WIN! Next week! Next week! Next Sunday in the Super Bowl!

A. Learn and speak the piece. B. Speak the piece in a 2-part canon. C. Transfer the speech to body percussion. D. Perform the body percussion in a 2-part canon.    IV. Learn a Piece for Unpitched Percussion with Elemental Phrase

Form Improvisations Rhythmische Übung p. 13, #52 by Gunild Keetman

Schott Publishing

A. Learn and perform the body percussion piece by rote. Identify its elemental phrase form.

B. Decide on two other ways to perform the piece. Will we use partners? Rhythm sticks? Movement? Unpitched percussion instruments?

C. Add improvisation for contrasting sections using the elemental phrase form abab’ or abac.

D. Decide on a final form for the piece. E. Perform the entire piece.