Education 3877

Elementary Instrumentation – Pitched Percussion Day one

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Objectives: By the end of this class, the students will

  1. Experience an Orff ensemble in its entirety
  1. Identify, perform and create a rhythmic ostinato
  2. Demonstrate correct technique on the orff instruments.
  3. Identify the fundamental principals of music (meter, rhythm, form, melody, harmony, texture) emphasized within the context of the music performed in this class.
  4. Demonstrate proper mallet position and technique while playing the Orff instruments.
  5. Experience the pedagogy involved in teaching an ensemble to children. Observe the teaching of an ensemble from start to finish including moving from voice to body, to body percussion, to instrumentation.

Terms:

Bordun – A Bordun is a repetitive pattern played on the tonic and dominant of the major or minor scale. Using Orff terminology: In doh pentatonic, the bordun is played on doh and sol. In la pentatonic, a minor chord is played using la and mi. You can tell the difference from the sound (major versus minor sound) and visually by the configuration of the scale.

Both I and V must be present to have a true bordun pattern (a perfect fifth apart).

  • The pattern must be predictable and repetitive.

Rules to keep in mind:

  1. Tonic must be on the strong beats.
  2. It is a harmonic ostinato –even though at times the notes are played alternately.
  3. It must be complementary to the melody (rhythmically and harmonically.)
  4. It can accompany all pentatonic melodies HOWEVER when re is on a strong beat or several repeated beats or the last note of a phrase, it creates too much tension for a bordun. Having sol on a strong beat may create tension but can be dealt with using a bordun (will have a dominant sound but could get away with it.)
  5. The pitch of the bordun should be below the lowest melody note or at least at the same pitch.
  6. In choosing and instrument for your bordun, make sure the sound you wish to have is possible on the instrument you choose. (e.g. Xylophones do not sustain while metallophones do)
  7. In creating a complementary rhythm pattern, give the line a point of tension (complementary rhythmically.)
  8. Sometimes it is necessary to alter the rhythm pattern slightly to give a good sense of final point. Ie. Create a coda ending.
  9. The distance between the tones must be a true 5th, not a 4th or a 12th.

Ostinato: An easily recognizable repeated pattern that compliments the melody and accompaniment.

An ostinato:

  • Develops a feeling of form (tension and relaxation)
  • Helps develop memory.
  • Helps each player listen to each other
  • Provides the background for accompaniment and improvisation.

An Ostinato should:

  • Be horizontal.
  • Have good structure.
  • Compliment the melody.
  • Be more than one measure.

The process of moving from singing/speech to body percussion, to non-pitched to pitched must be direct and natural.

Process:

1)Teach by “rote” technique

a)“Rote Technique: will refer to the following steps:

i) Teacher sings song in totality. Class listens.

ii)Teacher sings phrase one. Class echoes.

iii)Teacher continues above process with each subsequent phrase.

iv)Teacher sings phrase one and two. Class echoes.

v)Teacher sings phrases three and four. Class echoes.

vi)Teacher sings song in totality. Class echoes

2)Add greeting (B section)

3)Add b/p movement. (rote technique – say and do)

a)Teach each section facing the teacher – teacher is partner for clapping pattern.

b)Do with a partner

c)Keep same partners and form a circle.

d)At the end of phrase 4, shake hands with your partner and walk past them to face a new partner. Continue until you meet your first partner.

4)Teach instrument parts using body percussion.

a)“Will you be my friend” on laps

b)Ostinato part “I will, yes!” on snaps

c)NPP part on using step, clap.

5)Transfer to Instruments. Play in F Pentatonic. (removing the bacon and eggs for beginning instrumentalists.)

6)Collaborate on final form eg….

a)Introduction – Instruments only layered in one by one.

b)“A” section – singing with instruments

c)“B” section – swallow the words – movement only.

d)Coda – Opposite of intro with a final point.