Recorder Play, Every Day! Creative ways to Incorporate Recorder

in the Orff Schulwerk Classroom

   Presented for the Greater Cincinnati Orff Chapter

October 18, 2014 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  

 

Presented by:

Amy L. Fenton 6981 Coleman Road

East Lansing, Michigan 48823 (517) 331-2426 cell

amyfenton4aosa@gmail.com

Common Problems for Beginning Recorder Players • Not using left hand on top • Inserting mouthpiece too far into the mouth • Over blowing • Not covering holes completely • Using the breath to begin the tone rather than tonguing • Poor posture • Playing too loudly in order to hear oneself

Tips & Solutions to Common Problems

• Say “duh” or “do” when tonguing. The tip of the tongue should touch the ridge just behind the top front teeth.

• The airflow used for recorder should be soft, warm air. Use analogies such as a warm, gentle summer breeze as opposed to a cold winter blast! Demonstrate the airflow against the back of your (or your student’s) hand before trying it on the recorder. Let the students experiment with different airflows on their hands before they are comfortable using the gentle, warm, steady airflow that is needed for recorder.

• Tilt the recorder downward. Lips should barely cover the end of the mouthpiece. DO NOT bite the mouthpiece.

• Cover the holes completely with a “Ziploc” seal. • Teach notes in a stepwise fashion. Repeat stepwise patterns many times to allow

time for the new players to become secure. • If a student moves into your school and has not had recorder experience:

o Pair them with a strong player who will act as a teacher/mentor and allow them some class time to work in the hallway or back corner of the room.

o Once that student has learned B, A and G, use charts or music where B, A and G are highlighted in the music to allow that student to participate at his/her level.

o Find a few minutes in your day for the first few weeks to help them catch up. It will help you create a bond with that student and make them feel needed and appreciated.

 

Airflow Exercises Many of these ideas are not new or unique. Some I have gleaned from different methods books and workshops and have put my own unique twist on and others are my own invention.

v Candle – Describe the airflow needed to blow out a candle.

v Bubbles - Describe the airflow it takes to blow a soap bubble.

v Feathers - How long can you keep a feather in the air with your breath? Describe your breathe/air stream.

v Mirrors – Breathe against a mirror. Describe the air you use to steam it up.

v Cotton Ball games – equipment: a table and a cotton ball. • Game 1 – The object of this game is to blow the cotton ball off of the table.

Students stand or sit around a table. Students are called “out” if the cotton ball leaves the table in their area.

• Game 2 - The object of this game is to keep the cotton ball on the table while passing it from student to student.

• Game 3 – The object of this game is the same as Game 2 with the addition of a straw, which can be used to focus airstream.

v Sustained airflow using scarves as a visual – have partners work together. One

partner holds the end of a scarf, the other slowly pulls the scarf through their hand.

Playing with Sound on the Recorder My thoughts on this: Allow your students to play around with sound on their recorders. It is natural for them to want to explore all of the ways the recorder can make sounds. While it may be painful for you to hear, they are going to do it anyway, so you might as well use it as a learning experience for the students. It is also a good time to label the parts of the recorder!  

Consider: • Starting the sound exploration with the just the head joint. Have the students

“discover” how many different sounds they can make with it by manipulating air flow and covering the end and/or the fipple. Have students take turns demonstrating and trying each other’s examples.

• When the body and foot are added allow them to play around with covering the holes. Discuss how covering holes changes the pitch and why this happens.

• Use shape/line charts to discover ways of using air stream to create different sounds. Pipe cleaners can also be used for this purpose.

• Use these experiences to work towards creating a nice tone with even tone. Your students can and will hear the differences; they just like to explore all of the possibilities.

 

 

B  

 

   

 

 

Process: • Sing entire song • Echo Song • Patsch and echo sing the BX/CBB part; transfer to instruments • Patsch and echo sing the AX part; transfer to instruments • Snap and echo the AG/SG part; transfer to instruments • Clap and echo the ostinato; transfer to instruments

Process for adding recorder:

• Use Pitch Stack or solfa to lead students through melody • Students play melody with teacher conducting from chart (or from memory). • Add SR to orchestration

B section:

• Students create a word chain of food that could be added to porridge using the rhythmic building blocks.

Peas Porridge Hot  

 

 

 

Process: • Sing song; echo • Snap the AG/SG part; transfer to instruments • Patsch the BX/BM/CBB part; transfer to instruments • Patsch the AX part; transfer to instruments • Add chimes (conducted)

Process for adding recorder:

• Allow Students to “discover” the melody (give students time to figure it out). I often have them spend a minute or two on their own and then have them work in groups to refine the melody.

• Using teacher guidance and student input, write the melody on a board or chart • Students play melody with teacher conducting from chart • Allow students practice time • Add SR to orchestration

Extension:

• Break students into groups • Possible poems for B and C sections:

• The Man in the Moon • Fly Like the Moon • What Did I Dream? • Good Night • To Bed

• Allow students to create movement and sound-scapes to accompany poetry • Ask one group to create an introduction & a coda. • Performance!

Stars  

 

(Traditional melody with modifications for recorder) Process:

• Prepare song with echo work (syncopated patterns) • Teacher sings song; asks for students to listen for syncopated pattern; students

give signal when they hear pattern • Teacher asks which phrases are alike melodically • Echo song; sing entire song • Practice playing song • Prepare orchestration • Possible Form:

§ Intro. – Layer in instruments (drum, Maracas, BX/BM, AX) § SR on Melody (add AG/SG) § Sing song § SR in canon

• Extensions:

§ Sing in canon § Add another section with poetry about nature, water, canoeing § Add movement

Canoe Song

 

Process:

• Warm up – echo melodic ostinato using B-A-G-E or use a pitch stack to teach pattern

• Refine to the rhythm and melody of the Oo-oo-oo-ooo section of the song.

• Tell story and have students play recorder on the Oo-oo-oo-ooo sections.

• Add SR on melody if desired  

Skin and Bones B  A  G    E  D  

This is a fun lesson that I like to use at Halloween. Process:

§ Show Photos of Halloween candies such as candy corn, ghosts, pumpkins, etc. § Have students say the names rhythmically until they agree on the notation § Review what makes for a great song (singable melody, patterns within melody and

rhythm, form, etc.) § Make sure to tell the students that they cannot eat any of the candy until after

they are finished with their composition § Pass out bags of candy § Allow students time to create the rhythm of the composition through arranging

the candy on the template § Add pitch to the rhythm using the G pentatonic § Have students share melodies

 

Candy Corn Composition

 

 

Process:

• Teach song – A section • Place color spots, carpet squares or spot dots, with individual pitches of the

pentatonic scale, in a circle • Students sing and march around the circle to the beat of ‘Round the Circle (A

section), freezing at the end of the song • Choose a chant or a nursery rhyme for the B section • Teacher models playing rhythm of nursery rhyme on the pentatonic scale degree

that he/she has landed upon. • Students practice B section • ABA form

Possible Extensions:

• Concentric circles – students improvise on the note they land on and the one in the concentric circle

• Students walk the circle and improvise only when their color or note is called or shown on the smartboard

• This can be used to assess skills. Students will be playing in smaller groups and it will be easier for you to see and hear their skill development

• Expand to improvising with 2, 3, 4 and eventually all 5 of the pitches in the pentatonic pitch stack by adding neighboring spot dots

Recorder and Bird Songs

Books: Birdsong by Audrey Wood, Ill. Robert Florczak, copyright 1997. Harcourt Brace & Company ISBN 0-15-200014-3

The Backyard Bird Guide by Donald Kroodsma, copyright 2008. Chronicle Books.com ISBN 978-0-8118-6342-1 The Bird Songs Anthology by Les Beletsky, copyright 2007 Chronicle Books.com ISBN 1-9322855-88-2

Recordings:

www.allaboutbirds.org - website run by Cornell University. You can read about and listen to individual birds.

Birds of Michigan – CD: ISBN–13: 978-1-59193-042-6 and ISBN-10: 1-59193-042-1 Copyright 2004 by Stan Tekiela  The Stokes Field Guide to Birds of North America – Book with CD: ISBN – 978-0316-01050-4 Copyright 2010 by Donald & Lillian Stokes

Recorder Concepts:

• Recorder Exploration • Trills • Flutter tongue • High register

 

POETRY

Book: Feathers: Poems About Birds by Eileen Spinelli, Ill. Lisa McCue, copyright 2004. Henry Holt & Company, LLC ISBN 0-8050-6713-2 Poems Used in Session:

• Guess Which Bird This Is • Don’t Even Ask • Goldfinch • Water Sprite • Toucan Antics • Some Games Are for the Birds • Country Bumpkin • Spring Real Estate • What’s That Sound? • Sweet Tooth • Grand • Baby Swan • Nighty-Night

Each group wil l :

• Notate the rhythm of the words (using prosody) • Use either G pentatonic or the la of G to compose a melody • Share their composition by singing it and playing it on recorder • Create a visual representation of the poem through movement