Group drumming encourages children to take creative risks and push beyond their comfort zones. Whether experimenting with new rhythms, improvising solos, or leading the group, children learn to embrace challenges, overcome obstacles, and persevere in the face of difficulties.
This game is a great way to encourage improvisation.
Setup:
Gather the students in a circle with their drums or percussion instruments. Choose one student to be the leader and the rest will be the followers.
Call and Response:
The leader starts by playing a simple rhythmic pattern on the drum. The rest of the students listen and then respond by playing the same pattern back to the leader.
Variations:
You can vary the speed and complexity of the rhythmic patterns as the game progresses. Encourage students to be creative by adding their own flair to the patterns.This could include using dynamics (lour and soft) and different parts of the instruments.
Rotation:
After a few rounds, choose a new leader from the group. This gives every student a chance to lead and boosts their confidence in playing and improvising rhythmic patterns.
Positive Feedback:
Throughout the game, provide positive feedback and encouragement to all students. Celebrate their efforts and progress, no matter their skill level, to boost their confidence and make the experience enjoyable for everyone.
More Resources:
You can explore our special school and kinder instrument packs here.
Explore our Professional Development workshops and Teacher Training courses for more drumming facilitation tips.
