Embedding Rhythmic Improvisation into the Elementary Music Warm Up Routine

One of the main barriers to including creative processes in elementary general music is that there never seems to be enough time!

Despite the fact that most music teachers say they value the creative arts, the reality of teaching music is that there is limited time in a lesson, and limited lessons in a year. We spend our time in active music rooms joyfully singing, playing, speaking, moving, reading, writing. It can sometimes feel as though creative processes are one more thing to cram into an already-full lesson block.

In this podcast episode, Anne Mileski and I talked about the value of using the warm up routine to set the tone for music class. If we feel that community and creativity are priorities for us, a beautiful way to incorporate them is in the warm up routine itself.

Let’s look at some structures for including improvisation in the warm up routine for elementary general music. We’ll focus on two songs from this post and imagine some ways to improvise with a rhythmic focus.

Let’s jump in.

 
 
 

The Songs

For these activities, we’ll focus on possibilities with two pieces of repertoire for lower grades: “Engine Engine Number Nine” and “One Two Three.” You can find more about them in this post.

In upper grades we’ll use the song, “Sunday Best” by Surfaces.

 
 

Rhythm Improvisation in the Warm Up Routine

Rhythm improvisation is a great starting point for students who are new to improvisation! If this is new territory for your campus, consider starting the process of with rhythm improvisation while continuing to echo vocal patterns.

Here are a few ideas to get started.

Engine Engine Number Nine

Potential Grades: Kinder - 2nd

This rhyme is well-loved in many music rooms for its versatility! For all these activities, students walk into the room speaking the rhyme in a line.

Imitation:

When all students are inside the music room, the teacher makes train sound rhythms and students echo.

Examples:

Exploration:

In a later class, students might have the option of echoing train sounds or creating their own train sounds that are different.

  • T: I think I hear another train coming by! My train said “chhh ch-ch ch-ch chhh” and I heard the other train say something different: “ch-ch ch-ch chhh chhh.”

Students choose if they’ll continue to stay on the teacher’s train and make the same train sounds, or if they’ll move to a different train and improvise their own train rhythms. During this portion of the improvisation sequence, listen for the length of students’ improvisations. They should match the length of the given four-beat pattern. This awareness of phrase length will tell us when it’s time to move on to the next step.

Example:

 
 

Improvisation:

After several experiences having the option to improvise or echo, all students are asked to improvise.

When students are ready, they improvise the first train and the teacher improvises a second train. In a later class, the teacher can divide the class in half.

Eventually, group train improvises the first set of train sounds and the second group improvises their train’s response.

 

One Two Three

Potential Grades: 2nd - 3rd

I wrote this song for The Planning Binder 2022 - 2023 school year. It’s another versatile selection that can be used for many musical ends!

Students walk in the room in a line, singing the song. Use the text of the song, “let’s clap our hands like this,” to move from imitation to improvisation over the course of several lessons.

Imitation:

Sing the song. As a B section, the teacher claps four-beat or eight-beat rhythms and students echo. Over time, the teacher adds in two levels of body percussion (such as clapping and patting), and perhaps up to four levels (snapping, clapping, patting, and stamping). Students echo with the teacher’s body percussion.

As students echo patterns with two levels of body percussion, pay attention to the fluency with which they switch timbres. Watching for the ease of switching levels will inform the pacing of the progression.

Exploration:

Sing the song as students enter. As a B section, the teacher plays four-beat or eight-beat rhythms on body percussion. Students repeat the rhythm, but play it on body percussion of their choice.

Example:

In later experiences, students can have the option of playing the same rhythm, or improvising a new response.

Improvisation:

When students are ready, we’ll ask them to improvise a new rhythm instead of echoing.

This opens up several new possibilities for creative interdependence:

  • Ask students to improvise the musical question (the first improvisation) and the teacher responds

  • Divide the class in half. One half improvises first. The second half of the class picks someone to watch, then improvises their own response.

  • Sing the song. During the main section (one two three, walk around and follow me), students step a steady beat to find a partner. At the end of the song students play their rhythm improvisations in question and answer form. Repeat the same activity as students walk to a new partner.

 

Sunday Best Rhythm Improvisation

Potential Grades: 3rd - 5th

Especially for older students who have not had previous classroom improvisation experience, it can be helpful to start the improvisation process with rhythm (through speech and / or body percussion) and then moving to vocal improvisation.

This process will be similar to the one for One Two Three.

Students enter the room playing a body percussion pattern as the song plays.

Imitation:

The teacher plays a few patterns on body percussion and students echo. Depending on the age, the place in the year, and the curricular sequence, consider incorporating target rhythms into the echo patterns.

Consider starting with two levels of body percussion and gradually increasing to four (snapping, clapping, patting, and stamping). Pay attention to the fluency with which students move from levels of body percussion. This gives important information about when to add levels of complexity with the body percussion patterns.

Examples with target element, syncop-pa:

Exploration

Students will likely be ready to move to exploration after a few experiences using imitation. In these exploration activities, the teacher plays a body percussion rhythm. Students echo the same rhythm on body percussion of their choice.

Students can also have the option of improvising their own rhythm response that is different than the teacher’s. During these experiences, listen for the length of student responses. If responses match the eight-beats of the teacher’s improvisation, that’s a great sign that students are ready to move on to improvisation.

Examples with target element, syncop-pa:

Improvisation:

When we hear that students are ready, we’ll ask everyone to improvise a new response that is different from ours.

From there, students improvise the rhythmic question and the teacher improvises a rhythmic answer.

This is another time to check that the length of students’ improvisations matches the phrase form set in previous classes.

As students become more comfortable with rhythm improvisation, we can expand the activity directions to increase the level of musical interdependence. Here are a few options:

  • Divide the class in half. One half improvises first. The second half of the class picks someone to watch, then improvises their own response.

  • Students turn to a shoulder partner. One musician improvises the first eight beats and the other musician improvises the response. Find a new partner and repeat.

  • Pairs of students combine to create a group of four. Each musician improvises eight beats, taking turns going around the circle. After that, groups of four combine to create a group of eight. Each musician improvises eight beats, taking turns going around the circle. Groups of eight combine with the whole class to continue the warm up routine.

  • Students improvise both the musical question and the musical answer on their own.

For groups who are ready for a challenge, invite them to try using part of their partner’s musical material in their response.

 
 

What’s Next?

I love incorporating improvisation into each class at the very beginning to set the tone of interdependent creativity.

The beauty if starting with rhythmic improvisation is that it is so accessible! If you’re looking for a way to ensure that improvisation is a part of every music class experience, consider trying some of these ideas.

In the next post we’ll explore some possible ways to build off of rhythmic improvisation into vocal creativity.

 
 

Fall Listening Lessons for Elementary Music

Listening lessons can provide beautiful opportunities for a breath of fresh air in the music room!

At times, these may look like using activities that are, on the surface, “just for fun.” However, they add an element of curiosity, imagination, and artistry that can flow into our regularly-scheduled curricula. 

In this podcast episode I shared thoughts on “one-off” lessons that are not connected more broadly to the curricular sequence. One of the functions of a “one-off” lesson, in addition adding a fresh activity into the routine, is that there are times we need breathing room in our teaching schedules! One class in a week might be ahead or behind the others, we might want to rest our voices, we might assign a listening lesson with a substitute….

Ultimately listening interactions invite students to music with curiosity, agency, and collaboration.

>>> Read More: Creative Listening in Elementary General Music
>>> Read More: Active Listening in Elementary General Music

 
 

Structures for Listening Lessons

Perhaps more important than finding the “perfect” one-off fall listening lesson is the way we more broadly encourage musical thinking and curious listening. 

To that end, today we’ll look at structures for listening lessons that can be used with many different pieces, genres, and musical aims beyond a single fall-themed lesson.

Pieces to Use

For these listening opportunities, consider using fall-themed music such as: 

  • October by Fanny Mendelson 

  • Autumn Leaves (pick your favorite version!) 

  • Maple Leaf Rag 

  • Astor Piazzolla: ‘Autumn’ from The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires 

Finding a Listening Focus

Regardless of the piece, consider finding a listening focus for the experience, such as rhythm, timbre, melody, form, expression, etc. 

The examples we’re looking at today deal with beat, melody, and mood.

From there, it can be helpful to narrow in on a smaller section of the work, such as a 30 second segment. This allows for repeated listening of the target section, which builds familiarity.

First Experience: Listening with Curiosity

Suggested Time: 2 - 4 minutes

When students first hear the piece, we can direct their listening through a few questions.

With younger students, we might offer a few musical questions around one specific focus area (such as rhythm or mood). For students with a good amount of listening experience, we might display questions from multiple listening categories (rhythm, melody, form, etc.) and ask students to pick their favorite things to listen for. After a while we can narrow down the questions to the specific focus area of the lesson.

Questions for Curious Listening

Here are a few questions to get started. As you listen to your selection there may be additional musical characteristics students can tune into as well!

Rhythm:

  • Do you mostly hear long sounds, short sounds, or a combination?

  • Do the long and short sounds stay the same the whole time? 

Pitch & Melody:

  • Do you hear high sounds, low sounds, or sounds that are in-between?

  • Do the sounds move all around, or mostly stay the same?

Timbre:

  • How many instruments do you think are playing?

  • Do they make sounds that are scratchy, smooth, light, heavy?

  • Do they all play at the same time, or are there sections where some instruments are more prominent than the others? 

Dynamics:

  • Is the volume of the piece big and loud, or small and quiet?

  • Does the volume change? 

Form:

  • Are there any parts that seem to repeat?

  • Are there phrases or larger sections that happen more than once?

Mood:

  • Is there a story happening in the music?

  • If it were the soundtrack to a movie, what scene would this be?

  • Why?

When the selection is finished we can discuss student answers and share the name, composer, and genre of the piece.

Noise During Listening

It is normal for students to talk during listening experiences! Students process information verbally, and they will have many things to process as they listen. At the same time, we want to make sure the sounds of the listening selection - not the sounds of student voices - are the most prominent.

To that end, consider asking students to whisper when they have a thought as the music plays. I find it helpful to establish the difference between whispering and talking before the music begins 

Turn to your shoulder partner and practice whispering…….. 

Turn to your shoulder partner and practice talking as quietly as you can……. 

When you hear the music, you may whisper. You may not talk. Show me an example of what you may do…. (students whisper)..... Show me an example of what you may not do…. (students talk quietly)... 

If necessary, we can pause the music and practice the difference between whispering and talking quietly.

Second Experience: Active Listening

Suggested Time: 2 - 3 minutes

This is a nice time to draw students’ attention to the purpose of the selection - rhythm, form, timbre, etc.

In active listening, students listen as they perform another task. Depending on what the purpose of the selection is, help students narrow their musical focus by performing an action. This is where having a shorter selection (about 30 seconds) can be helpful so students can develop familiarity with the work.

Here are some examples of active experiences that can help prepare students for the next activity. All activities take place with the focus section of the recording playing.

  • Beat: Pat a steady beat, or do a simple body percussion routine

  • Rhythm: Clap a repeating rhythm along with the recording

  • Melody: Trace the melodic contour, point to the melodic contour on the board, or sing the melody on solfege

  • Timbre: Mime playing instruments as they come up in the recording

  • Dynamics: Create a small shape with your body, and a wide shape. Follow the teacher’s directions for showing large and small.

  • Mood: Show facial expressions and body language for serious, playful, contemplative, peaceful, etc.

Repeated Experiences: Creative & Collaborative Listening

Suggested Time: 7 - 10 minutes

Students extend the work they prepared with active listening by creating their own way to show the musical focus.

Depending on the amount of group work experience students have, it can be helpful to give directions first and ask students to come up with three possible ideas. When students have their individual ideas, they can get into groups of two to five (depending on the age and activity) and collaborate.

During the work time, alternate between giving students time to collaborate without the recording playing, and with the recording playing so they can check their work. At this point in the lesson students may talk quietly when the recording is playing.

Examples of Creative Listening Invitations:

Here are some sample ideas to consider.

Beat:

  • Students create a four-beat or an eight-beat body percussion steady beat ostinato. They might check their work with the questions:

    • Does the beat ostinato match the music?

    • How will you handle parts where the beat goes away, speeds up, or slows down?

  • When they’re ready, students turn to their shoulder partner and find a way to combine their ideas.

  • After a few moments, ask students to play their ostinato four times in a row.

  • Pairs of students combine with another group, creating a group of four. In their group of four, students find a way to combine their ideas.

  • After a few moments, ask students to play their ostinato four times in a row to check their work.

    • Can everyone in the group play the pattern?

    • Is it a steady beat, and not a rhythm?

Melody:

  • Pick one line of high and low sounds you hear (perhaps the main melody, perhaps another melodic line like an instrument) and paint the melody in your mind. 

  • Find a way to show the melody with your body while your feet stay on your spot…….. Do you have ways you could show it without using your hands? 

  • Students combine with two or three people close to them to create a small group.

  • Which part of song are your group members showing? How does it connect with one you’re doing? Would you like to continue doing your own movements for your own melodic line you picked out? If so, how do the other people’s movement idea fit with yours? Or would you like to combine to show one melody together?

  • Give students a few moments to try their ideas, and check their work

    • Do your movements match the high and low sounds of the song?

Drama:

  • What is this piece about? Is this piece about people (like people looking for something or shopping for a sweater)? Is it about objects (like leaves falling or rolling apples)? Is it about a place (like a mountain with trees changing colors)?

  • Why do you think that? What do you hear that could give you a clue? (Consider dynamics, interesting melodic lines, new instrument entrances, etc..)

  • Students make a mental map of the story in their mind, and act it out in place.

    • What musical cues are you using in your story? Could you explain how the music impacts your story to someone else?

  • Students combine with other movers to create a group of three or four.

  • Give students time to coordinate their movement scenes and rehearse.

  • What happened right before this scene? Students choose a starting pose.

  • What happens at the end of this scene? Students choose an ending pose.

FINAL Listening Experiences: Listening and Evaluating

Suggested Time: 7 - 10 minutes

When students are ready, we might invite them to share their creative ideas with the class.

There are several ways this might be facilitated, depending on the age of the group and their experience level.

One of the most simple structures is for half the class to perform while the other half of the class listens and watches. Consider having a “bravo” signal at the end of the sharing to celebrate the performers, such as silent applause, a smile, a thumbs up, or a school hand sign. After giving feedback, students switch roles so the audience is the performer and the previous performers are the audience.

Giving Thoughtful Feedback:

In order to give thoughtful feedback, the audience needs to listen to the music, and make connections to what they see in the groups.

Encourage students to give measurable observations about what they heard and saw.

Examples might be

  • I noticed that Ava, Maggie, and Charlie’s group were showing a high melody and their movements were high the whole time, even when they were showing the ups and downs of the melody.

  • I noticed that the group in the corner were interacting with each other and switching places.

  • I noticed that the people in Luke, Zion, and Liam’s group were all moving at different times with different instruments, but they were all making eye contact with each other.

 
 

Listening as a mindset

Listening is one of the most fundamental ways we interact with music.

Outside the music room, students may use creative and active listening as their primary way of musical knowing. This is a skill that has far-reaching implications for how students engage with music.

When we teach listening skills we have an opportunity to invite imagination, student-agency, and collaboration into the learning process.