Submitted by Artie Almeida, Orlando, Florida

Idea posted February 19, 2003

My kids are LOVING a cup game that I created to go with "El Capitan March" by Sousa, so I thought I would share it with you. (My recording is a CD called USA on the EMI label. Concert Arts Symphonic Band, conducted by Felix Slatkin.)

Cups to Sousa's "El Capitan March"

I am desperately wanting a patriotic theme in each class, so I started looking for activities to do with instrumental pieces in addition to the patriotic songs we're singing. I had to practice this a bunch over a weekend to be secure with it, but then I wrote out a very basic direction sheet for the children, and they get it.

I start by listening to the piece and speaking the directions - just orienting them to the work. Then I demo each of the parts. Then they practice each part with the cups before we start the music. They MUST be gentle with the cups, or they break easily.

"El Capitan March" is in ABCD form, with each section repeating. I bought red and blue cups that have the ridges on the sides. The ridges allow us to use them as scrapers in the A section. Each child gets a red and a blue cup, and the routine is as follows.

A Section: (Cup in each hand)
  • Tap bottom of cups to legs 2 times, then tap cup bottoms against one another two times. Repeat this for four sets.
  • Scrape one cup rim against the ridged part of the other cup in the following pattern: half note, half note, half note, half note, half note, quarter, quarter, quarter, quarter, quarter. (This pattern matches what is going on in the music.)
    • (REPEAT THE ENTIRE A SECTION)
    B Section: (Put red cup down face down about 12" in front of you.)
  • Tap bottom of blue cup against palm of other hand 4 times, then toss into air.
  • Then tap 7 times against upturned bottom of red cup.
  • REPEAT THIS THREE MORE TIMES TO MATCH THE B SECTION, WITH ITS REPEAT.
    • (If you know "El Capitan March," you'll see how well the tosses help emphasize the accents in the music!)
    C Section: (Red cup stays face down on floor 12" out, put blue cup face down on floor right in front of your legs.)
  • During the entire first C section, we practice saying the pattern for the passing part: "tap, tap, pass" (quarter-quarter-half). We pretend to tap and pass without really touching the cups.
  • Then on the repeat of the C Section, teacher counts the kids off and they begin passing to their right. This is a VERY soft part of the music, so they must tap and pass softly. It is a very neat sound on carpeting with the cups face down.
    • D Section: (Both cups back in hands with open part up)
  • Tap cup bottoms on floor twice, then out to each side against bottom of neighbor's cup two times. This takes a little practice, but they love it when they get it.
  • On the repeat, we change to a ti-ti-ta (eighth notes-quarter) rhythm on both the floor and neighbor's cups for a challenge. Do this until 2 measures from end, when you say "STACK 'EM" and "WEAR 'EM." The kids put one cup inside the other and put them on their heads like a hat. If you call it right, this should happen on the last note of the song!