Submitted by Beth Jahn (nee Spreen), Granite Falls, Minnesota

Idea posted February 19, 2003

Here is an activity I have been using to introduce improvisation.

I taught the kids a rhythm exercise from the Rhythmiche Ubung (#33). The rhythm goes like this:

2/4 ta ta | ti-ti ta | ti-ti ti-ti | ti-ti ta |
ti-ti ti-ti | ti-ti ti-ti | ti-ti ti-ti | to-oo ||

I taught this patsching and clapping routine from the RU to go with the rhythm:

pat clap | pat-clap clap | pat-clap pat-clap | pat-clap clap |
pat-clap pat-clap | pat-clap pat-clap | pat-clap clap-clap | pat ||

I also made a little rhyme to say while we did the patting and clapping. It goes like this:

Im-pro-vi-sa-tion: cre-ate as you go a-long
When you fin-ish you will find that you have made a song.

After we had become proficient at the patsching and clapping routine, we figured out how to notate the rhythm. Then, we played it with unpitched percussion.

Next, we set up the barred Orff instruments in the pentatonic of your choice. I used F pentatonic. I asked the kids to play the rhythm on the barred instruments, but to make sure they started and ended on an F.

I let the kids improvise all at the same time, and then we had volunteers improvise by themselves.

As an extension, I have had some kids in groups actually compose and practice a melody. We alternate the compositions with improvisations in between.

Hope this works as well for you as it did for me.