Introduction to Orff-Schuwlerk

BethAnn Hepburn
Sponsored by Music Is Elementary
Elementary S.O.S!
Sharing Orff Strategies on a budget
IMEA Professional Development Conference 2011
The Orff Schulwerk is
A music pedagogical concept that aims to stimulate elemental music making
Language, dance and music are equal forms of expression
A work process that gives the participants a great deal of creative freedom,
exploration, play and improvisation that lead to a holistic process of creation
A collection of texts, songs and instrumental works that aim to inspire children
and teachers to sing, play and dance. They were published in five volumes by
Carl Orff and Gunild Keetman between 1950 and 1954 under the title Music for
Children
The creation of new elemental music in the collaborative learning environment
We can further divide the philosophy into the following categories: Media, Pedagogy,
Musical Components and Literature Sources.
Media
Movement
Speech
Song
Body Percussion
stamp
patschen
clap
snap
Pedagogy
Imitation
simultaneous
echo
canonic
Exploration
Improvisation
Composition
Unpitched Percussion
Pitched Percussion
Recorders
Musical Components
Emphasis on Rhythm
Pattern and repetition employed
Ostinati as primary accompaniment figure
Complementary rhythms
Gapped scales and modes
Limited harmonic language
Simple Musical Forms
Literature
Original Orff/Keetman Source Works
Vols. I-V
Keetman supplements
Other prototype material
Folk Literature
Cultural Materials
Student Improvisation/composition

Orff Schulwerk Process
“Singing, Saying, Dancing, Playing” is a common description of the Orff Schulwerk approach to
music making and learning. This participatory approach combines movement, song, speech,
drama, and instrument playing in an infinite variety of experiences. The combination engages
all of the participants’ senses in the musical “moment”. This approach takes advantage of the
young child’s natural instinct for play and for experiencing music a movement as a whole. It
also allows individuals (teachers, as well as, students) with differing abilities and interests to
find means for expressing themselves through music.
A primary characteristic of the Orff Schulwerk process is a progression from teacherdirected
(imitative or rote) experiences to student-generated experiences (improvisation).
This progression occurs both within a lesson and across a curriculum. It is frequently
summarized as follows:
Imitation duplicating or recreating musical gestures and ideas
Exploration discovering the implications, variations,
components, or possible combinations of familiar musical ideas
Improvisation creating unique musical experiences
derived from students’ exploration.

Use of Unpitched Percussion Instruments In an Orff-based Elementary Lesson
When working with children, encourage them to think of the register (high/low) of
instruments when they choose instruments to accompany a poem. For example,
if you start with body percussion sounds, and you want to transfer those sounds
to instruments, what instrument might you chose to replace snaps? or stamps?
Also, encourage children to think of timbre when selecting instruments to
accompany. For example, what instrument might you choose to add “color” to the
train sound in “Stop, Look, Listen”?
The Orff Schulwerk approach will often use speech as the media to create music ensembles.
SPEECH RHYTHM ENSEMBLE
Music patterns which are melodic or rhythmic that repeat & repeat are called Ostinato.
The schulwerk approach layers the ostinato patterns to create complementary rhythms,
and when played together create a music ensemble. “Word Chains” based on the
children’s thematic unit, spelling words, rime words from a song, alliterations, tongue
twisters, proverbs, are just a few of the infinite possibilities.
Some Suggestions for Transferring Body Percussion to Pitched & Unpitched Instruments
Body Percussion Level Unpitched Percussion Instrument Pitched Instrument
Snap High-pitched ringing metals Glockenspiel
(Finger cymbals, triangles)
Clap Small wooden instruments sop. xylophone/metal.
(wood block, tick-tock, claves)
Pat
two-handed instruments (bi-lateral alternating) alto xylophone/metal.
(bongos, temple blocks, maracas)
Stamp Large, Lower-Pitched Instruments Bass xylophone/metal.
(Large hand drums, tubanos, congas)

4 Beat pattern Improvisations within a song context
TONGO
When the students are comfortable with the song, they can add another
musical task
Students create “canoes’ for the work song in a boat (each will have a
different timbre)
Sing the song through as a group, have the students Echo the teacher
4 beat patterns, 4 times
Next, let each student in the “head” of the canoe play 4 rhythms for the
canoe group to echo.
Continue repeating the song & the patterns until all students in the boats
have had a turn as the leader.
Students can “hop boats” while playing the singing game, so they can play
several instruments in one class.

Rhythmic Reading, Ensemble Playing, Expressive Speech and Playing
This rhythmic speech piece is a good model for a teacher-directed example that
students should experience, before being asked to create accompaniments on their
own, like the next example “Queen of Hearts”.
Speech to student-composed rhythms
Explore expressive speech, how to say the poem? Scared, bold, whisper?
Learn main chant and create a sample ostinato with the students: perform
together
Transfer to Hand Drums: can the expression of the speech transfer to the
drums? Expressive speech leads to expressive playing.
The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts
All on a summer’s day
The Knave of Hearts,
He Stole the tarts!!
And took them clean away.
Explore the Newest Gossip in the Kingdom!
Like this is a travesty! The nerve of the knave
The saddest thing that could occur in this good kingdom
Like a 6 th grade girl gossiping
What other ways can you explore the words? Can you add actions?
Next, students create Complementary Ostinato inspired by Playing Cards in
small groups
Perform as a Rondo: A B A C A D A (the poem as the A)

Coffee Canon
Source: 150 Rounds for Singing and
Teaching Boosey & Hawkes
Use Hoola Hoops or tape to establish the difference of feeling duple and triple.
The teacher walks the beat, around the outside of the hoops.
Ask the students to “walk on their laps”, and match your feet.
When you step into a hoop, have the students clap and say the #1.
Bring to their attention, how many beats total they count to, before saying #1 again.
What how are the notes grouped? If moving quarter notes, what meter is it?
Once 3/4 is found, have them continue BP in 3/4 and sing song.
Teach song.
When the students are familiar with the song, add ostinati .
Sing the song and explore various body percussion combinations of 3
Using words related to drinking coffee as building blocks, have students create an
ostinato pattern in 3/4 meter with a partner using the works and body percussion
Transfer to “coffee band instruments”
Notation Exercise
To aid the student’s rhythmic reading practice, and transfer of sound to
sight, provide note cards for the students to build their rhythm.
Then pass out “instruments” such as coffee cans, cups, spoons, for the students
to play their rhythms on.
Beans rest Sugar