Vision Empower

Body Percussion:

Play Plan

Key Learning Areas
GENERAL INFORMATION

Prerequisites: Counting
Play arena:
Number of players: 2 or more
GAME OVERVIEW AND BASIC RULES FOR PLAY

Body percussion is the art of striking the body to produce various types of sounds for didactic, therapeutic, anthropological and social purposes. In both the world of musical traditions and the world of performance, body percussion has had various roles, which can be classified into its uses, meanings and functions which are specific to each individual culture. It is important to point out that nowadays the media and social networks play an important role in promoting body percussion due to their high levels of visual and aesthetic content. That said, however, its applications are highly varied, which is why we can classify the publications up until now into thematic blocks.
Traditionally the four main body percussion sounds (in order from lowest pitch to highest in pitch) are:

  1. Stomp: Striking left, right, or both feet against the floor or other resonant surface
  2. Patsch: Patting either the left, right, or both thighs with hands; or patting cheeks
  3. Clapping hands together
  4. Snapping fingers

Skills that can be learnt- Symmetry, Patterns, Odd-Even
PLAY SESSION PLANS

SESSION 1: WARM UP – PASS THE CLAP

Very simple and effective starting point for a body percussion warmup. In its simplest form, each person claps in turn until it goes all the way around the circle. Here are some ideas for developing the activity further:

  • pass a different sound, such as stamp
  • pass a vocal sound
  • each pass a different sound (i.e. 30 people, 30 different sounds)
  • pass 2 or more alternate sounds
  • pass 2 different sounds around the circle in opposite directions
  • double clap means change direction

SESSION 2: FOUNDATION/INTRODUCTION

The aim of this lesson for students is to
– imitate, count and create body percussion rhythm patterns
– create their own body percussion pattern for even numbers under 10

  • Teacher claps 4 times—students copy
  • Teacher—How many claps?
  • Teacher stamps twice then claps twice—students copy
  • How many stamps and how many claps?
  • Students count as teacher repeats two stamps and then two claps
  • How many sounds did we make altogether? (The teacher continues this with all the even numbers)
  • Children can take the lead once they understand how teacher is doing

SESSION 3: MUSIC/NUMERACY LESSON

The aims of this lesson are for students to
– Echo body percussion patterns
-Create their own body percussion patterns
-Write sound patterns using number algorithms

  • Teacher (clap, patchen, patchen, clap)
  • Students echo the body percussion (BP) pattern
  • Students and teacher count the sounds while performing the BP pattern again
  • Teacher/students analyse the pattern of sounds performed by the teacher. How many of each type of sound? How many sounds altogether? (2 claps plus 2 patchen are 4 sounds altogether)
  • Teacher continues to demonstrate by making another pattern for the same number (Clap, clap, stamp, stamp)
  • In pairs students choose a number and make up a BP pattern. How many BP patterns can they devise for their number?

SESSION 4: SOUND BUILDING

  • 4 to 5 children sit or stand in a circle to begin with.
  • The first child starts with any percussion sound of his/her choice.
  • The next child repeats that sound and adds another sound to it and so on.
  • Any child making a mistake will be out of the game.
  • The one who stays till the end wins the game.

SESSION 5: FOLLOW THE PATTERN

  • Divide children into 2 groups of 2-3 players each.
  • They create their own short pattern of 3 to 4 beats.
  • They perform to the other group 3 times in a row.
  • When/if a child from either team makes a mistake, the other team gets a point.
  • The team with maximum points wins.

Sounds & Patterns:

Play Plan

Key Learning Areas
GENERAL INFORMATION

Prerequisites: –
Play arena: 3 broad items/boxes of different materials such as wood, steel and plastic.
3 steel glasses of similar size, preferably little longer in height, 1 steel spoon and water.

Number of players: 4
GAME OVERVIEW AND BASIC RULES FOR PLAY

The objective of the game is to make sound and form a pattern with these sounds by first hitting 3 different items and then hitting the glasses filled with different levels of water.
The game starts by hitting 3 items of different materials with a spoon, one by one and then forming a pattern.
In the second round replace the items with glasses filled with different levels of water and then producing sound by hitting them with a spoon. Once the children get familiar with different sounds, they would make patterns with sounds.
PLAY SESSION PLANS

SESSION 1:

  • Place 3 different items on the table, in front of the child (items made up of wood, plastic, steel).
  • First, help the children understanding where these objects are on the table.
  • Once they get familiar, ask them to hit one item with a spoon/ thick stick, recognize the sound, and similarly hit all 3 items one by one.
  • Ask the children to give names to these items. For example: first item is A, second item is B, third item is C. Now, tell them to make different sounds by hitting them in different sequences such as, make a sound by hitting A then B and then C (pattern ABC , ABC) or AA , then BB and then CC( pattern AABBCC, AABBCC).
  • These are the patterns which children made, now ask each of them to make their own pattern. While one is producing the sound others can guess the pattern. Later the child can share what pattern he made.

SESSION 2:

  • In this session, replace 3 different items with 3 steel glasses of similar size.
  • First, ask the children to hit one empty glass with a spoon and listen to the sound.
  • Then pour some water (half of the glass) in another glass, ask the children to put their fingers and check how much water is there.
  • Help the child in the beginning to hit the glass filled with water. And then compare the difference in sounds made by hitting an empty glass and a glass filled with half water.
  • Now keep all three glasses on the table, in front of the child. One empty glass, one half filled and one completely filled glass.
  • In the first turn, assist the child in knowing where these glasses are , they can also first hold the glass and then hit it with a spoon.
  • Once they get familiar, ask them to make different patterns the way they did with different items.

Musical Numbers:

Play Plan

Key Learning Areas
GENERAL INFORMATION

General Information
Prerequisites: Counting
Number of players: 6-8
GAME OVERVIEW AND BASIC RULES FOR PLAY

The objective of the game is to say the numbers in a sequence and then remember, repeat the sounds of different animals in the same sequence.
The game starts by saying the numbers in a sequence, music would be played in the back ground, and children would continue saying the numbers. When the music stops, the player who last said the number would be the one who has to make a sound of any animal, and then whoever is next that player has to repeat the earlier sound and add one more animal sound to it and so on.
Whoever remembers and repeats most of the sounds in the same sequence as done by the players, is the winner.
PLAY SESSION PLANS

SESSION 1:

  • Each child has to say a number and those numbers should be in a sequence, for example: Ravi will say 1 and then Raj will say 2 and then the next child will say 3 and so on.
  • Teacher can tell the order in the first round, before starting the game, as who is next and then the children can continue.
  • As they are saying the numbers, music would be played in the background.
  • When the music stops, the last player who has said a number would be the one who has to make a sound of an animal.
  • Then again the music would be played and game would continue; next when the music stops the player has to repeat the previous animal sound and add his part and so on.
  • The player who doesn’t remember the correct sequence would be out from the game.
  • The game continues , and they player who remembers most of the sequence of animal sounds wins the game.

SESSION 2:

  • Ask the children if they remember the game.
  • If there are any students who were absent from the previous session, ask other children (who are familiar with the game) to explain what the game is all about.
  • When you think the children are clear about the rules, start playing. This time, the teacher would only observe the game and help only where it is absolutely necessary. Allow the children to figure out on their own.
  • Play 2-3 rounds to make children familiar with the game.