Echo and Answer
A common attention-getter in elementary school is for the teacher to clap a pattern (clap clap clap-clap clap) and have the students echo it back. This is a musical thing! By simply changing the rhythm of the pattern, the teacher is integrating a nearly universal music teaching approach—creating patterns for others to echo. And the possible variations on this are virtually endless (see article on infinite variation).
Take the basic pattern referenced above (long long short-short long). How many ways could we perform this pattern? We could pat our legs, stomp our feet, snap our fingers, etc. Using this as an attention-getter engages students in an interesting challenge: can you echo the exact sound your teacher or parent is making? In addition to changing the sound of the pattern, we could also change the volume, tempo, and actual rhythmic pattern.
Another variation on echoing after is to have the students repeat a pattern while the next pattern is given. This makes a rhythm chain. Keep the patterns simple at first so that they are easily echoed. Keep instructions basic: "While you are repeating my pattern, I will give you the next one to repeat." The children generally catch on rather quickly. After doing this for a time, it is possible for children to stay two patterns behind the leader, then three, and sometimes even four. Think of the cognitive skills developed in this type of active engagement with rhythm and music.
The next important step is to "answer." This simply means, rather than echoing what the leader did, to answer back with a different pattern that takes the same amount of time. This is an important first step in helping the children create their own patterns. Then, students can be leaders for Echo After, all basic skills leading to the development of Grooves.
Take the basic pattern referenced above (long long short-short long). How many ways could we perform this pattern? We could pat our legs, stomp our feet, snap our fingers, etc. Using this as an attention-getter engages students in an interesting challenge: can you echo the exact sound your teacher or parent is making? In addition to changing the sound of the pattern, we could also change the volume, tempo, and actual rhythmic pattern.
Another variation on echoing after is to have the students repeat a pattern while the next pattern is given. This makes a rhythm chain. Keep the patterns simple at first so that they are easily echoed. Keep instructions basic: "While you are repeating my pattern, I will give you the next one to repeat." The children generally catch on rather quickly. After doing this for a time, it is possible for children to stay two patterns behind the leader, then three, and sometimes even four. Think of the cognitive skills developed in this type of active engagement with rhythm and music.
The next important step is to "answer." This simply means, rather than echoing what the leader did, to answer back with a different pattern that takes the same amount of time. This is an important first step in helping the children create their own patterns. Then, students can be leaders for Echo After, all basic skills leading to the development of Grooves.