Rondo Improvisation

• Ask students to suggest different body percussion moves (tap, clap, snap, beatboxing, stamp, click tongue…etc.). Try improvising short patterns as a class, do echo clapping, and then do variations… for motivation.
• Group students and assign leaders, and use the body percussion movements they thought of to create a pattern. They can concentrate on a particular body movement or do a combination (e.g. clap twice, snap once, clap once)
• Improvise their first four measure pattern in 4 times or 6/8 time meter -which will serve as their A section (for students who have difficulty improvising, I assist them by asking what body percussion move they can think of and suggest they start using these body percussion movements using steady beats then start subdividing and doing faster beats)
• Have each group perform their A section without mistakes. Once done, proceed to the contrasting section (the B section) and have them improvise a new set of rhythms using probably new hand jives or other body percussion moves. Once done with section B, have them perform their patterns starting from A, then B, then back to A (they will definitely have mistakes, but this will be the fun part of improvising as a group).
• Proceed to improvise their C section, a new set of rhythm patterns. They can use scat as well ( doo, bee, doo …dum, dum bee dum).
• Once the C section is completed, have them perform it as ABACA sequence, and have them decide what title they want for their work …have other groups evaluate their performance and give awards to the best group.

This activity will be enjoyed by your students. At the same time, they can have time to share their ideas with friends without the fear of not being able to name note values or remember musical terms.