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