414879

1311414879TaylorGeneral Music Today

GMTXXX10.1177/104837

General Music Today

Orff Ensembles: Benefits,

XX(X) 15
2011 MENC: The National
Association for Music Education

Challenges, and Solutions DOI: 10.1177/1048371311414879

http://gmt.sagepub.com

Donald M. Taylor1

Abstract
Playing Orff instruments provides students with a wide variety of opportunities to explore creative musicianship. This
article examines the benefits of classroom instrument study, common challenges encountered, and viable teaching
strategies to promote student success. The ability to remove notes from barred instruments makes note accuracy
more accessible, freeing students to focus on more sophisticated musical elements related to balance, blend, and
dynamics. In addition, many Orff arrangements are easy to learn because of the common use of simple ostinato
figures and limited harmonic structures. Although these patterns may be simple to grasp, they can be difficult to
perform with rhythmic control. Students often rush the beat, causing faulty precision within the ensemble. Within
a few measures, ensemble unity can be lost. Teaching solutions offered in this article focus on strategies related to
technique development, efficient diagnosis, and effective modeling.

Keywords
elementary general music, music education, secondary general music, listening, Orff

Almost every semester for the past 7 years, Ive taught an
undergraduate course entitled, Techniques of Classroom
Instruments. In this class, we spend a lot of time examin-
ing successful teaching techniques in an Orff setting. A
variety of peer teaching experiences often precede a vid-
eotaped lesson taught to elementary students in nearby
public schools. When students return to campus to reflect
on their experiences, they frequently exclaim, You were
right! Teaching this stuff to kids is much more challeng-
ing than I thought! They soon discover that when teach-
ing a song, if one or two children have pitch issues, the
rest of the class can usually progress without too much
distraction. But when teaching an Orff arrangement, if
one student begins to rush a xylophone part, the entire
ensemble can easily fall apart. Fortunately, after discuss-
ing various strategies to improve the lesson, my students
have the opportunity to go back to the schools and teach
the same lesson to a different class. Not only do their les-
sons run more smoothly, but their appreciation for the
teaching process is also much deeper.
The difficulties preservice teachers experience cannot
be blamed solely on inexperience. In a study examining
the teaching practices of recognized Orff Schulwerk teach-
ers, analysis showed that even the best of the best some-
times struggle to get students to play together (Taylor,
2006). Yet the advantages of facing these challenges are
worth the effort expended.
Research shows that students usually enjoy playing
classroom instruments (Boswell, 1991; Bowles, 1998),
which may serve as motivation for continued learning.
Although children often enjoy singing in kindergarten
and first grade, they may sometimes be more reticent and
self-conscious about singing as they grow older (Blyler,
1960; Bowles, 1998; Mizener, 1993; Phillips & Aitchison,
1998; Siebenaler, 1999). This is not to say that teachers
should abandon singing because some students may be
uncomfortable with the process. To the contrary, teachers
can use instrumental study as a contingency to encourage
and reinforce good singing. In addition, Orff instruments
can be used to help children explore other National
Standards, including improvisation, composition, listen-
ing, and analysis.
Many aspects of Orff instruments and accompanying
activities lend themselves to student success. The ability
to remove bars from xylophones, metallophones, and glock-
enspiels allows students to focus on a variety of musical
issues without having to worry about note accuracy. Likewise,
1
University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
Corresponding Author:
Donald M. Taylor, College of Music, University of North Texas,
1155 Union Circle, #311367, Denton, TX 76203-5017, USA
Email: don.taylor@unt.edu

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2 General Music Today XX(X)
many Orff arrangements are based on short ostinato fig-
ures that are easy to learn and memorize. Correspondingly,
harmonic patterns are frequently confined to simple struc-
tures that are developmentally appropriate for students
current skills. As students progress, proficiencies related
to rhythmic precision, balance, and blend can be refined
to foster sophisticated listening and motor skills that may
serve them well for years to come.
Conversely, Orff instruments present some unique
challenges. Xylophones and many nonpitched percussion
instruments sounds are characterized by strong attacks
followed by limited resonance. If students do not syn-
chronize initial attacks, limited reverberation will fail to
mask the initial imprecision. Furthermore, unlike singers
and wind players, the breath does not usually serve as a
unifying device to help coordinate entrances.
Consider also that although simple, repetitive ostinati
are often easy to learn, playing one figure repeatedly can
be a mind-numbing task, making it especially difficult to
concentrate on rhythmic control. When concentration wanes,
rhythmic precision often suffers. As many have discov-
ered, students typically want to rush the underlying beat
(Drake, 1968; Ellis, 1992; Gordon & Martin, 1993-1994;
Kuhn, 1977; Kuhn & Gates, 1975; Rohwer, 1998; Taylor,
2006; Thackray, 1972). Complicating matters further,
research has shown that people have difficulty perceiving
rushing during performance (Madsen, 1979; Miller & Eargle,
1990; Wang, 1984; Wang & Salzberg, 1984). Students may
not even be aware of the problem that eventually serves
to undermine ensemble unity. The urge to rush may be
related to a sense of personal tempo that can approach
100 beats per minute or faster among elementary students
(Frego, 1996; Walters, 1983). Playing slower sometimes
goes against basic instincts. Tempo accuracy becomes
even more challenging when teachers ask students to play
at rates faster or slower than the original tempo learned
(Duke & Pierce, 1991; Pierce, 1992; Rohwer, 1998).
As with any skill, the benefits of learning often out-
weigh accompanying challenges. Rewards incurred from
steadfast study can include heightened listening, indepen-
dence, and improved concentration. Achieving these goals
requires time, commitment, and diligence. Unfortunately,
many elementary music teachers have very limited time
with their students. Some see their students twice weekly,
whereas many others see their students once or less per
week (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for
Education Statistics, 2002). Because of these time limita-
tions, teachers need to use effective instructional strate-
gies as efficiently as possible. Skilled teachers know that
working hard and working efficiently are not always syn-
onymous. If students are struggling, instructors may need
to alter pedagogical strategies to help facilitate improve-
ment. Several strategies to consider are listed here.
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Effective Instructional Strategies
Consider implementing a short warm-up routine to
help develop technique.
Orff instruments are not difficult to play; however, they do
require motor skill development that may be unique com-
pared with other activities encountered in students daily
lives. Many secondary ensemble directors begin rehearsals
with regular warm-ups designed to help students nurture
fundamental technique. Elementary students playing Orff
instruments might also benefit from warm-up exercises
designed to help develop mallet technique. Playing barred
instruments requires proper posture, hand position, and
execution. Whereas bouncing off the middle of a bar might
be easy for some students, this skill can be challenging for
othersespecially young boys whose motor skills may lag
behind their female peers. Improvisatory warm-up activi-
ties based on pentatonic scales could allow students the
freedom to concentrate on physical technique without hav-
ing to worry about playing the right notes. Later in the
rehearsal, when particular notes and rhythms are required,
students may be less distracted with issues related to tech-
nique and better able to concentrate on other musical
demands.
Choose music carefully that matches students tech-
nical capabilities.
Just as with secondary bands, choirs, and orchestras, some
Orff arrangements may simply be beyond the scope of stu-
dents technical facility at the present time. Elementary
students often have limited experience with anything other
than unison singing until they reach music teachers class-
rooms. If singing a simple round in two parts challenges
some students, playing Orff arrangements in multiple parts
(many containing five or more independent lines) could be
especially daunting. Repertoire matching students current
capabilities provides more opportunities for learning and
expression than music requiring advanced skills beyond
their means. That is not to say that teachers should take the
easy way out. If the repertoire is too easy, students will
become bored and lose interest. If it is too difficult, they will
become frustrated and want to quit. Yet if the music pro-
vides interesting challenges that allow for reasonable skill
development, students may more readily experience feel-
ings of satisfaction and accomplishment. Of course, finding
materials perfectly suited to each class could be very chal-
lenging. With this in mind, teachers could simplify parts to
accommodate students current abilities. Likewise, instruc-
tors could even write their own pieces or arrangements. Orff
Schulwerk certification courses typically provide excellent
instruction to help facilitate this process.
Taylor 3
Use specific feedback consistently to identify per-
formance problems.
Any arrangement that contains appropriate challenges will
probably be met with some student errors. Typical prob-
lems often include rushing the pulse and resulting preci-
sion errors (Taylor, 2006). Teachers should not assume
that students will be aware of their errors. As obvious as
performance problems may seem, students may be so
engrossed in their own individual part that they are
unaware of what is happening around them. For this rea-
son, teachers need to give students succinct, specific
feedback about their performance each time they play.
General feedback in the form of Thats wrong, is virtu-
ally useless. Youre rushing on beats 3 and 4, is spe-
cific and gets right to the heart of the problem. Likewise,
specific praise is much more effective than general praise.
Using students names makes it even more powerful. Anna,
excellent steady pulse! is much more effective than
Good job!
Follow specific feedback with specific directives
that provide viable solutions.
Just because students know what the problem is does not
mean that they know how to make improvements. Teachers
who grew up with natural musical abilities may assume
that everyone can figure out what needs to be done once
a problem has been identified, but that is not always the
case. For instance, after feedback, students may know
that they need to stop rushing, but they may not know
what to do to make that happen. A variety of physical
factors may be contributing to this problem. Some chil-
dren may need to lower their shoulders and physically
relax. Others may need to play softer to reduce tension
and anxiety that lead to rushing. Still others may not be
set in a ready playing position, causing them to come in
late on the first note and accelerate other notes in their
hurriedness. Many other issues that are unique to particu-
lar students could be the culprit. Teachers must use visual
as well as aural cues to diagnose students performance
issues. Instructors may even want to think of themselves
as musical physicians who provide musical prescrip-
tions for success. Doctors who assume patients know
how to treat their own ailments would be virtually use-
less. Imagine the following scenario:
Doctor: Youre sick! Get better!
Patient: What should I do to get better?
Doctor: Well, I told you whats wrong! Isnt it obvious?
Patient: No, its not.
Doctor: Well, just figure it out!
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As ludicrous as this scenario would be, even experienced
teachers sometimes make similar assumptions. Prescribed
treatment must be given after diagnosis.
Demonstrate what you want to hear as well as what
you do not want to hear.
Once treatment has been diagnosed, teachers need to
model how it should be administered through demonstra-
tion. Returning to the medical analogy, when patients go
to the pharmacy for medication, the bottle almost always
tells them how many pills to take, how many times a day
to take them, and whether or not to ingest medication
with or without food. If the treatment is more compli-
cated (e.g., injections, etc.), a nurse will often show the
patient how to administer the dosage. Similarly, teachers
need to show students how to perform tasks differently.
Frequent positive examples can be extremely powerful.
In addition, used judiciously, educators can occasionally
contrast what they do not want (negative modeling) with
examples of what they do want (positive modeling). This
is a luxury medical professionals do not often have. A
nurse demonstrating proper injections would be unwise
to inject air into a vein to show the deleterious effects of
such administration. Someone could die. Yet music teach-
ers can show students how increased physical tension
might lead to rushing without any fatalities. Importantly,
such a demonstration needs to be followed with positive
examples of relaxed playing that culminates in a steady
rhythmic pulse. Of course, when implementing negative
modeling, teachers need to choose their examples wisely.
For instance, a demonstration of rushing might help clarify
how easily pulse can vary; whereas, demonstrating destruc-
tive manners of playing (e.g., striking a drum too hard, etc.)
could simply give students tempting ideas they had not
yet considered! Positive modeling should exceed nega-
tive modeling, but occasional contrasts may help drive
home the point the teacher is trying to make. In general,
it is not enough to show students what is wrong: they need
to see and hear good examples of proper performance.
Focus on musical directives, rather than procedural
matters.
Because Orff instruction often incorporates rote learning
and memorization of layered ostinati, it is very easy for
teachers to focus on procedural instructions about who
plays which part and when, rather than more important
musical directives. Correct notes and rhythms, although
important, do not result in a musical product. Should the
passage be played softer? Louder? Slower? Faster? More
crescendo? Students need teachers to verbalize these
4 General Music Today XX(X)
musical goals. Repetition without specific instruction not
only reinforces current playing inaccuracies but gener-
ally wastes time. Even when repeating a passage to
solidify an improvement, students need to know why they
are repeating the passage. A simple phrase such as, Lets
see if we can maintain our steady tempo three more times,
even if we change the dynamics, can provide needed
focus to maintain concentration during positive practice.
In this way, students always know what to focus on to
make improvements or reinforce successful playing.
Shorten student performance episodes to ensure
success.
Good teachers are usually very skilled at providing care-
fully sequenced instruction designed to foster student
success (Duke, 2005). Research has shown that expert
secondary teachers give students multiple opportunities
to perform short passages of music successfully. On aver-
age, these passages last no longer than 10 to 15 seconds
(Cavitt, 2003; Derby, 2001). This concept is especially
important in Orff settings. As simple as many repetitive
ostinati can be to learn, maintaining concentration during
these tasks can be incredibly challenging. When concen-
tration wanes, tempos vary, and rhythmic precision becomes
inaccurate. After a few measures, the entire ensemble falls
apart because no one can stay together. Rather than wait-
ing until everything falls apart, teachers need to engage
students in short performance episodes that begin and end
successfully. Once students maintain a steady tempo with
synchronous precision for two measures, performance tri-
als can be lengthened to reach the desired length. This
strategy allows students to succeed more regularly in small
steps which can build confidence and increase motivation.
Encourage students to listen to each other.
Although Orff ostinati are often based on simple, repeti-
tive patterns, they are also frequently layered in four or
five parts, providing many students with their first expe-
rience performing independent parts as an ensemble. In
an effort to play their parts independently, students may
forget to listen to those around themeven classmates
playing the same part. Because this experience may be
novel, teachers may want to consider creating MIDI
recordings of pieces that provide students opportunities to
hear how all the parts should blend together. Of course,
these recordings should not be used as a play-along
crutch, but instead could serve as useful models.
Student learning may be enhanced further by allowing
children to verbalize what they admire in the examples
they hear. Likewise, analyzing and discussing their own
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playing could be empowering. Taping students during
rehearsal might be highly effective if they are given
opportunities to reflect on positive and negative aspects
in their own performance. Continuing in this vein, stu-
dents could also be encouraged to consider solutions to
the problems they identify, thereby encouraging higher
order thinking skills that may lead to deeper understand-
ing. When students are given a more active role in the
learning process, understanding may become more per-
sonal and meaningful.
Conclusion
In short, playing Orff instruments is not as easy as it
looks, but the rewards can be immense. To promote con-
tinued enthusiasm, teachers must work hard to ensure
student success at each stage of their musical develop-
ment. Rather than functioning as a passing novelty easily
dismissed after initial exploration, instrumental study can
be a venue for developing refined elements of musician-
ship. The strategies suggested in this article can actually
be used in a variety of teaching settings, with or without
instruments. Regardless of the setting, process and prod-
uct do not have to be mutually exclusive categories. Each
days activities can result in beautiful, aesthetically
pleasing sounds if teachers structure tasks effectively. In
the process, the journey toward musical excellence can
be immensely gratifying.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no conflicts of interest with respect to
the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research,
authorship, and/or publication of this article.
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Bio
Donald M. Taylor teaches course in music education at the
University of North Texas. Currently serving as the coordinator of
the PhD program, his primary areas of instruction include elemen-
tary general music and research. Prior to this position, he taught
elementary general music for nine years in San Antonio, Texas.