1 Improvising for Children's Rhythmic and Creative Movement (Featuring

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Improvising for Children’s Rhythmic and Creative Movement (Featuring White Key Modes) OMEA Friday, February 6, 2015, 1:15-2:15 PM Nancy E. Lineburgh, Ph.D. [email protected] (330)618-0892

Piano Keyboard iPad ap: Piano Free with Songs BWD The plan: I will take you through the steps for accurately playing for basic rhythmic movement (walk, running, skip/gallop, big step/swim); help you discover ways to create modal melodies for these movements; help you discover ways to create music for nonlocomotor, creative movements; practice what you have learned using the story of “The Three Little Pigs”.

At the end of the session you will be able to say….. 1. I can play for walk, running, big step (swim), skip/gallop, relating each movement to the walk on a drum. 2. I can create modal melodies for these rhythmic movements using either a keyboard or a barred instrument based on question-answer phrases. 3. I can use tonal clusters to create music for nonlocomotor movements, such as going up and down; huffing and puffing and blowing your house down!

Pre-Session Activity: Listen to recordings of modal improvisations created for rhythmic movement of walk, running, big step, skip/gallop.

Activity 1: Warming Up and Finding a Group Tempo 1. Students stand in scatter formation in an open space that has no chairs. 2. Students walk at their own pace, choosing their own pathways. 3. Students notice how their neighbors are walking. 4. Students work to adjust their walking tempi to the walking tempi of their neighbors. 5. When students feel they are all walking the same tempo, they quietly clap with their steps. Note: This is an activity for older students. For younger students, the teacher watches the students as they walk to determine a group walking tempo.

Activity 2: Exploring Basic Rhythmic Movement: Walk/Running (Twice as Fast)/Big Step (Twice as Slow) + Skip/Gallop Relationship of basic rhythmic movements to notation:

Walk: Running: Big Step/Swim: Skip/Gallop: or

1. Teacher plays a drum, keyboard or other instrument to match the group walking tempo. This movement is called “walk”. 2. When the teachers says, “Hip!”, the students step twice as fast as the walking tempo (eighth notes, or subdividing the walk into two steps). This movement is called “running”. (Teacher continues to play for “walk”.) 3. When the teachers says, “Back”, the students go back to the walking tempo. 4. When the teachers says, “Hop!”, the students step twice as slow as the walking tempo (half notes, or taking one step for every two walking steps). The teacher encourages students to use their arms to help balance the movement. This movement is called “big step”, “swim” or other name that shows the time needed for this movement. (Teacher continues to play for “walk”.) 5. Again, when the teacher says, “Back”, the students go back to the walk. 6. Students discover that the walk uses a basic amount of space; the running uses less space; the big-step uses move space. 7. Students discover that one skip or gallop fits in the same time as one walk. 8. When the teacher says, “Skip” or “Gallop”, students skip or gallop.

Student Practice: 1. Break into groups of 3-4; one gets a hand drum to use to help the group maintain a group “walk” tempo. This person also calls, “hip”, “back” and “hop”. 2. Group members practice stepping for walk, twice as fast (running) on “hip”, and twice as slow (big step or swim) on “hop”. “Back” is the signal for going back to the walk. Add “skip” or “gallop” for extra practice.

9. Teacher plays for walk, running, big step, skip/gallop and students “follow” the sound of the drum with their feet; students step the sounds of the drum. Note: It is essential that all movements be related to the walk tempo. Student Practice: Group members practice playing for walk, running, big step, skip/gallop one at a time, while others do the movements. 2

Activity 3: Exploring White Key Modes 1. Teacher presents the major modal scales, first as single notes, then as parallel thirds and parallel triads. Students notice the modal notes.

Major sounding modal scales: Ionian (C-C) Basic major (no modal notes)

Lydian (F-F) Major with a raised 4th

Mixolydian (G-G) Major with a lowered 7th

. 2. Teacher presents the minor modal scales, first as single notes, then as parallel thirds and parallel triads. Students notice the modal notes.

Minor sounding modal scales: Aeolian (A-A) Basic natural minor

Dorian (D-D) Minor with a raised 6th

Phrygian (E-E) Minor with a lowered 2nd

Student Practice: Play each scale, first as single notes, then as parallel thirds, then as parallel triads.

Example of scale with thirds in Ionian: Example scale with triads in Ionian:

Activity 4: Creating 16 beat question-answer phrases for walk. 1. Example of an Ionian or major question-answer melody(C-C).

Example: Finish this “starter melody” to create question-answer phrases.

2. Extension: Add some running notes (two eighths) here and there.

Example: Finish:

3. Examples of modal melodies for walk:

What makes a melody sound modal? Establishing tonic (1-3-5) and featuring the modal note in some way.

Mixolydian (G-G), featuring the lowered 7 Example: Finish:

Note: The charm here is waiting to introduce the modal note at the end as a surprise.

Lydian (F-F), featuring the raised 4th Example: Finish:

Aeolian (A-A) Example: Finish:

Dorian (D-D), featuring the raised 6th Example: Finish:

Phrygian (E-E), featuring the lowered 2nd Example: Finish:

Student Practice: Create 16 beat question-answer melodies for walk for each of the modes. Note: If you play something that doesn’t sound “right”, just play it again and it will sound planned!!  Play in a middle register for walk.

Extension #1: Create your own beat “starter melodies” (8 beats) and write one you like below. Then, play the “starter melody” and improvise the endings, first for the question, then for the answer.

Student Practice: Create your own “starter melodies” in a mode of your choice. 5

Extension #2: Create contrasting question-answer phrases.

Student Practice: Practice creating contrasting question-answer phrases in several modes.

Extension #3: Try creating melodies with parallel thirds; still question-answer. (Start with 1-3 or 3-5. Move in step-wise motion with an occasional skip of a third.) Example in Lydian:

Add a 1-5-6-5 left hand.

Try creating melodies with parallel triads; still question-answer. (Start with 1-3-5. Move in step-wise motion with an occasional skip of a third.) Example in dorian:

Add a 1-5-6-5 left hand.

Student Practice: 1. Practice creating question-answer phrases with thirds and triads in several of the modes.

Activity 5: Adding a left hand, or lower part to a modal melody using a 1-5-6-5 ostinato for each mode: Use these patterns to add harmonic interest to your melodies and support the movement. Examples: Ionian Lydian

Dorian Mixolydian

Phrygian Aeolian

Note that these patterns can be played on a keyboard or barred instrument.

Example of melody with LH in Mixolydian:

Alternate LH patterns. Examples in Mixolydian. Can be transposed to any mode.

For the alternate patterns, if using a barred instrument, you will need 3 mallets that you will hold in one hand.

Student Practice: Practice adding a LH or lower part to a modal melody using 1-5-6-5.

Activity 6: Creating 8 beat question-answer phrases for running. Use the same starters as for walk, only play twice as fast. Keep the running notes sounding throughout until the very last note….a walk. Now your question-answer phrases will only be 8 beats. Example in Phrygian:

Play up an octave or two in both hands.

Alternate LH in Phrygian….play up an octave or two..

Student Practice: 1. Create question-answer modal melodies for running. 2. Add a LH or lower part using 1-5-6-5 patterns. Play in a high register for running.

Extension: 1. Create running melodies using thirds and/or triads. 2. Create a new running “starter melody”.

Activity 7: Creating 16 beat question-answer phrases for big-step: Go back to 16 beat phrases; use parallel triads in root or first inversion positions for the RH.

Aeolian Example with root position triads:

Possible LH in Aeolian:

Aeolian example with LH:

Aeolian example with 1st inversion triads:

Student Practice: Create question-answer modal melodies for big step, adding a LH. Use root position or 1st inversion triads. Play in a low register for big step. 9

Activity 8: Creating question-answer phrases for skip or gallop: Fit the uneven rhythm into the space of a quarter note. Example in Lydian:

Gallop is based on a subdivision of 3 as a long-short rhythm.

Skip is usually based on a subdivision of three, , but can also be

based on a subdivision of 4 as a dotted eighth-sixteenth.

Student Practice: Create question-answer modal melodies for skip/gallop, adding a LH. Play in a middle register for skip/gallop.

Activity 9: Playing for nonlocomotor movements using TONE CLUSTERS Create music using tone clusters for building a house from the bottom up; for huffing and puffing; for climbing up to the top of the house and down the chimney.

Student Practice: Create music for up and down; huffing and puffing; climbing up and fall down using tone clusters.

Activity 10: Everybody create modal and tone cluster improvisations for the story of “The Three Little Pigs”.

The Three Little Pigs Adapted by Nancy Lineburgh

Once upon a time there were three little pigs. They decided to leave home to make their way in the world. So, they (Play for walk.) walked and walked and walked and walked and they stopped when they found a big pile of straw. The first pig built his house with straw.

First he put down one piece of straw (Play a low tone cluster.), then another (Play a higher tone cluster.) and another (Play a higher tone cluster.) and another (Play a higher tone cluster.) until he had built a big house. (Play higher and higher and faster and faster tone clusters until you can’t play any higher.).

The first little pig was happy! But his siblings said, “Looks pretty flimsy to me!” And so they continued to (Play for walk.) walk and walk and walk and walk and they stopped when they came to a big pile of twigs. The second pig built his house with twigs.

First he put down one twig (Play a low tone custer.), then another (Play a higher tone cluster.) and another (Play a higher tone cluster.) and another (Play a higher tone cluster.) until he had built a big house. (Play higher and higher tone and faster and faster clusters until you can’t play any higher.).

The second little pig was happy! But his sister said, “Looks pretty flimsy to me!” And so she continued on. She was tired of walking, so she decided to gallop! (Play for gallop.) She galloped for a very long time because she was looking for something really strong for her house. Finally she found a big pile of bricks.

First she put down one brick (Play one loud, very low tone cluster.), then she smoothed on the cement (Wiggle your fingers on the keys/over the bars.); then she put down another brick (Play one loud, slightly higher, low tone cluster.), and smoothed on the cement (Wiggle your fingers on the keys/over the bars); then she put down another brick (Play another loud, slightly higher, tone cluster) and smoothed on the cement (Wiggle your fingers on the keys/over the bars.); until finally she had a big house.

Well, wouldn’t you know, one day, along came the big wolf. (Play for big step.) And he took great big giant steps; great big giant steps. And he came to the door and knocked three times (Knock, knock, knock on wood or a drum.) And he said in a very low voice, “Little pig, little pig, let me come in.” And the little pig said, “Not by the hair of my chinny, chin, chin.” (Use a high, “Mickey Mouse” voice for the pig.)

And the wolf, (Play clusters softly, getting louder and louder.) huffed and puffed and blew the house down. Now the little pig did not want the wolf to hear him, so he ran very quietly to his brother’s house. (Play light, running music.) 11

Well, wouldn’t you know, one day, along came the big wolf again. (Play for big step.) And he took great big giant steps; great big giant steps. And he came to the door and knocked three times (Knock, knock, knock on wood or a drum.) And he said in a very low voice, “Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in.” And the little pigs said, “Not by the hair of my chinny, chin, chin.” (Use a high, “Mickey Mouse” voice.)

And the wolf (Play clusters softly, getting louder and louder.) huffed and puffed and blew the house down.

Now the little pigs did not want the wolf to hear them, so they ran very quietly to their sister’s house. (Play for running.)

And the wolf, (Play clusters softly, getting louder and louder, playing longer than for the other houses.) huffed and puffed and huffed and puffed and he could not blow the house down.

(Play tone clusters going up.) So he climbed up to the top of the house. (Play tone clusters going down.) And he slid down the chimney into a big pot of hot water.

(Play heavy running for the wolf.) Now the wolf ran away. And the little pigs never saw him again. And that’s the story of “The Three Little Pigs”. The End.

EXAMPLES OF MODAL SONGS: Lydian: Do Not Go by Bartok (Find on YouTube), Simpsons Theme Song Mixolydian: Old Joe Clark, I’m Going Home on a Cloud Dorian: Scarborough Fair, Drunken Sailor Phrygian: Benji (A round) , Icelandic Lullaby from The Singing Sack by Helen East Aeolian: Hush-a-bye Don’t You Cry, O Come O Come Emanuel

GAMES FOR RHYTHMIC MOVEMENT: 1. Play for a rhythmic movement; when the music stops, students stop. 2. Play for a rhythmic movement; when you play a high sound, students change directions. 3. Students play “follow-the-leader” in lines of 5-6. Play for a rhythmic movement. When the music stops, all stop and the leader moves to the end of the line maintaining the movement.

FOR MORE IDEAS GO TO: 1) Dalcroze Society of America website: http://www.dalcrozeusa.org/ 2) THE ORFF ECHO, Winter 2013 “Connecting to Dalcroze: Active Music Making Through Basic Rhythnmic Movement by Nancy Lineburgh