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Stop-walk

1

Category

vocal
rhythmic
instrumental

Age

10+

Number of participants

5+

Duration

approx. 10 min.

Working method

group work

Musical abilities of the trainers

1  2  3  4  5  6

Equipment and instruments
  • optional: any type of instrument
Competences
  • attention
  • concentration
  • creativity
  • cooperation
  • quick reaction
  • team cohesion

Stop-walk

A general warm-up exercise that can also use musical sounds
as a command in a more creative form.

AIM

A general movement exercise in which musical commands can be used to direct group members. This is a useful team-building game, icebreaker, in which the participants can get to know music in a new aspect.

Description

The participants are placed randomly in the space.
At the leader’s command, the participants perform certain activities:
„WALK” – to go
„STOP” – to stop

Then you have to do the opposite:
„WALK” – to stop
„STOP” – to go

You can even go back to the original version so that they understand it literally, and you can change it several times.

You can expand the command words:
„JUMP” – to jump
„SQUAT” – to squat
and so on

With these expanded activities, you can also play the opposite, you just have to discuss exactly what each one means.

 

Level up!

Match each command word to general sound effects or music.
These can be imitations of animal sounds, car sounds, ringtones, different rhythms clapped, and of course they can also be musical – e.g. if there are instruments or vocals, the high-low sounds can be given meaning.

Alphabet Game

4

Category

vocal
instrumental

Age

10+

Number of participants

5-30

Duration

approx. 10 min.

Working method

group work

Musical abilities of the trainers

12  3  4  5  6

Equipment and instruments
  • optional: any type of instrument
Competences
  • attention
  • cooperation
  • concentration
  • team cohesion
  • sense of rhythm

Alphabet Game

A cooperative game that focuses on concentration
and has a strong team-building effect.

AIM

The goal of the game is to increase team cohesion, and to develop concentration and attention in terms of individual competencies in a playful form. The musical development of the game has unlimited possibilities.

Description

The participants stand in a circle.
The letters of the ABC are said one after another in a row, according to the way they are next to each other.
The point is that they keep saying the letters one after the other.
If they make a mistake, it’s game over, i.e. it starts over.
The game is constantly accelerating in tempo.

 

Level up!

As in the hocetus game, a well-known melody is played in a circle by syllables. It is also possible to increase the level with musical instruments, also by breaking them down into notes.

Human Sampler

30

Category

vocal
instrumental

Age

8+

Number of participants

4-40

Duration

approx. 10-60 min.

Working method

group work

Musical abilities of the trainers

12  3  4  5  6

Equipment and instruments
  • optional: rhythm instruments, percussion, any other instruments
Competences
  • concentration
  • collaboration
  • attention
  • cooperation
  • sence of rhythm

Human Sampler

This is a game to get everyone involved – and it can range
from something very simple to quite complex.

AIM

The main aim is inclusion, team building.
Everyone is able to make a sound, feel to be included and present in the group, experienced to create crazy sounds, or even an actual piece of music.
It can also be a performance, with practice and time!

Description

This is a game where each player chooses randomly a sound and the team creates music by singing the chosen sound when the leader (DJ) makes a sign.

 

LEVEL 1 – Intro/Ice Breaker

  1. Participants stand in a circle, with their arms out in front of them (elbows bent for comfort!).
  2. Participants are asked to think of a sound to make, when the DJ/Producer touches/pushes down their hand.
  3. The DJ then goes around the circle, in order or randomly, touching/pushing down the hands, and the participants immediately make their sound when touched.
  4. The DJ can then make rhythms with the sounds.
  5. The leader then picks 1 or 2 more DJs (depending on the size of the group), and they ‘play’ the human sampler, trying to stay in rhythm together.
  6. Switch DJs, Change sounds.
  7. You can also split the group into 2, so more people can play. After a few minutes, one group can listen to the others’ sounds being played.

 

LEVEL 2 – Tiny Tracks

  1. As above, with these adaptations:
  2. This can all be demonstrated before you split the groups, with examples of all the sounds. This is fun – no need to be perfect!
  3. Split the circle in 2 – with 2 semi circles.
  4. Split those groups into 3 ‘Banks’ of sounds. Each bank is an element of a track: Drums, Percussion, Sounds/Samples
    Bank A – Drums
    Kick, Snare, Closed hi-Hat, Open Hi-Hat, Crash Cymbal
    Bank B – Percussion
    Hand Claps, Finger Snaps, Shaker sounds, Mouth sounds etc
    Bank C – Sounds/Samples
    Any sounds – these can be any sounds – random, or in tune
    with each other…
  5. Choose 1 DJ for each bank.
  6. Tell the groups then have 10’ to find their sounds, practice,
    and create a short piece of music. You can set the length as from 30s – 1’
  7. Before they go off in their groups, you can demo some sounds again here, and also demo an example of what it could sound like. Give one group the sounds, then play a Hip-hop beat, a Drum & Bass beat, a House beat, a Bossa beat… etc.
  8. Groups then have 10’ to prepare their track.
  9. Performance

 

LEVEL 3 – Making Music

As above with these adaptations:
You can add more banks, and more DJs.
Bank D/E/F… – Bass/Keys/Singing…
You can add as many banks as you like, depending on numbers and skill level of the group.
Bank D – Bass
This can be a number of people, ‘singing’ different bass notes, OR it can be one person doing the whole bassline.
Bank E – Keys
This can be a number of people, ‘singing’ different piano/keyboard notes, OR it can be one person doing the whole thing.
Bank F – Singing
This can be one person singing a song, or just singing a melody without words, OR you can split it up into parts.
Other Banks…
Strings, Brass, Stabs, Scratches etc…

Depending on the level of the group, they can create their own pieces of music, recreate existing pieces of music/songs etc.

You can adapt things as you wish – but it’s good to have the beats, sounds/samples, percussion done by the SAMPLER, and then people can sing over the top, do harmonies, etc.

comments for facilitators

Start with slow rhythm and speed up gradually.
Each round, get participants to focus on the rhythm – especially after they have mastered the pattern.

Pantomim

37

Category

rhythmic
instrumental

Age

8+

Number of participants

3-10

Duration

approx. 20 min.

Working method

group work

Musical abilities of the trainers

12  3  4  5  6

Equipment and instruments
  • music player / app to play the song
  • optional: any type of instrument
Competences
  • creativity
  • attention
  • collaboration
  • cooperation
  • social sensitivity

Pantomim

A game that inspires self-expression through music and the art of movement.

AIM

To help youth to learn how to express their feelings, how to improvise, how to enjoy music and forming this within a group that improves social skills and team work.

Description

The participants stand randomly in the room. The facilitator provides instructions.
Facilitator or a participant plays a known melody, one or more players (pantomimes) react to it with movements: they play a story or any creative art project, visual self expression.
One who was chosen claps at a point in time and in this moment the game switches: facilitator/participant plays on the movements and story of the pantomime.

Morse

39

Category

rhythmic
instrumental

Age

12+

Number of participants

3-10

Duration

approx. 20 min.

Working method

group work

Musical abilities of the trainers

12  3  4  5  6

EQUIPMENT
AND INSTRUMENTS
  • optional: any type
    of instrument
Competences
  • improvisation
  • creativity
  • collaboration
  • attention
  • cooperation
  • concentration
  • sense of rhythm

Morse

Short game to recognize, repeat or improvise rhythm or melodies.

AIM

This game develops musical skills and focuses on rhythm while playing. Through the exercises the participants will be able to percept and follow the rhythm with improving focus and creativity.

Description

Participants sitting in a circle or in a row.
First participant in the row (or one chosen in the circle) taps a longer rhythm on the hand of the second participant sitting next to. After that this second participant taps this very same rhythm to the next participant and so on.
The last participant claps the received rhythm and then the first player claps the original rhythm.
The goal is to have minimal difference between the two rhythms.