| Tuned Percussion is great fun - most of | | | | notes on their instruments, and then |
| the Time! However, it can be a source of | | | | you'll still hear something funny going |
| headaches (literally!) for music | | | | on whenever you hear an "F" because one |
| teachers if its not implemented in a | | | | student has an F# on their instrument! |
| careful way. | | | | The best tip I have for this is to |
| This article is to give you some hints | | | | simply take those substitute bars, put |
| and tricks on how to maintain and look | | | | them into a box and lock them away! |
| after the instruments, plus the types of | | | | The best solution is to simply find |
| music to play which have the greatest | | | | music, transpose music or write music |
| chances of success. | | | | that is only in C MAJOR. That way you |
| 1)Organization is the key | | | | won't be messing around chaning notes, |
| With tuned percussion instruments in a | | | | and you can get on with making music! |
| music class you have to be totally | | | | 4) Go for Wood - Not Metal - and get |
| organized. | | | | them all at once! |
| Each instrument needs a shelf where it | | | | I've seen more broken "Metallophones" at |
| lives permanently - so that students | | | | schools than any other instrument. For |
| know where it goes back after it has | | | | some reason they always seem to have |
| been used. You've got to establish these | | | | gotten lost bars and damaged rubber |
| places early in the routine and have | | | | strips under the bars which result in a |
| ordering about how the students go about | | | | loud "clunk" whenever you try to play |
| picking them out and playing them. | | | | them! |
| 2) Go All Diatonic or All Chromatic | | | | Glockenspiels are very challenging for |
| One of the big problems is that many | | | | young children - the bars are really |
| orff style tuned percussion instruments | | | | small... and piercing on the ears as |
| are sold in two bits - the main | | | | well. |
| "diatonic" part of the instrument, plus | | | | My advice... go for WOOD every time. |
| they offer a "chromatic extension" which | | | | diatonic xylophones, with a box |
| is simply the black notes on a separate | | | | resonator. |
| box resonator. | | | | You should really take ALL your budget |
| In my experience these things are far | | | | in one year and dedicate it to this - |
| more hassle than they are worth, | | | | don't buy one or two at once.. That will |
| particularly for elementary school | | | | not suffice for a whole class. Get a |
| classes. You are much better off with | | | | class set of ten to twenty xylophones |
| just a diatonic instrument that isn't in | | | | that are all identical and they will |
| "two bits" | | | | last for years. |
| Organizing a class so that everyone has | | | | Get one or two at a time and you'll find |
| to get the main instrument, and then get | | | | that they get mixed up and no-one knows |
| the chromatic extension and put it in | | | | what bars and bits go with what |
| front is far too difficult for most | | | | instrument! |
| elementary classes. | | | | 5) Mallets all identical - all in one |
| In theory of course the elementary class | | | | place |
| can use just the diatonic bit, and the | | | | One simple thing you can do is get a |
| more advanced can use the full | | | | full set of mallets, and make them all |
| chromatic.. but it rarely works that | | | | identical! |
| way! | | | | If you get a box or a large jar and |
| The only schools where I've seen those | | | | dedicate it to this purpose then |
| chromatic extensions they are generally | | | | students will know that they have to get |
| put away into a cupboard and never used! | | | | and return the mallets to this location |
| Still, if you have more advanced or | | | | and they'll get used to this procedure. |
| older students then you should get fully | | | | If you only have wooden xylophones then |
| chromatic instruments to start with! | | | | you won't have to worry about different |
| 3) Play everything in C Major | | | | mallets for the glockenspiels and |
| One of the big "time wasters" is those | | | | metallophones. |
| substitute F sharp and B flat bars that | | | | Of course I'm talking about an ideal |
| are included with many of the diatonic | | | | situation - and I know that its not |
| instruments. These have to be a complete | | | | common that you get the budget to go out |
| waste of time for teachers. Often you | | | | and get a full class set of new tuned |
| can spend half the class making sure | | | | percussion instruments for an elementary |
| that all the students have the right | | | | school. |