Activity: Drumming
World Drumming and Guides!!!
Why drum with the girls?
- Great introduction into different cultures
- African, Aboriginal, Maori, Native, etc.
- Symbols of circles, drums, histories, etc.
- Unique way of having music in the unit WITHOUT singing!
- You don’t need to read music or be a musician
- Girls who tend to hate the “sitting to sing” sessions may like the movement that drumming provides
I don’t have drums!
- Use recyclable materials (recycling night activity?)
- Paint Cans, ice cream pails
- Bottles for shakers (fill with popcorn)
- Pringles rainsticks*
- Pencils for drumsticks
- Etc… let your mind go crazy!
We have “drums”… now what?
- 2 different strokes for the drum
- “High” or half hand
- Use the fleshy part of knuckles and strike side of drum face
- “Low” or full hand
- Use flat palm of hand in the centre of drum face
- When striking the drum, pretend to “bounce” your hand – do not let it rest on the drum between hits
- “High” or half hand
- Warm-up
- Alternate hands, hit a steady, “walking beat”
- Alternate hands like you would alternate your feet walking!
- Use high and low strikes
- Alternate hands, hit a steady, “walking beat”
Different Activities with the Drums
What’s your name? (Sp, Br)
What’s for dinner? (Gd, Pf, R)
- The leader of the circle starts with “What’s for Dinner?” (strike on syllables)
- Each drummer will respond one at a time (striking on syllables)
- Always go back to the leader for the “What’s for dinner?” in between
- This is a great warm up for anyone self-conscious about doing rhythms “solo”
Yabba-dabba-dabba-do game
- Everyone does the “yabba-dabba-dabba-do” rhythm, over and over (strike drum on syllables)
- The Leader will interrupt with “this is a universal break” (strike drum on syllables)
- Everyone stops the rhythms and yells, “HEY HEY HEY”
- First time, clap hands with HEY HEY HEY
- Second, high five to both neighbours HEY HEY HEY
- Third, thumbs over the shoulders HEY HEY HEY
- Fourth time, stop
- Each repetition is to get faster and faster… zoom!