Improvisation Strategies and Resources, Part 2: by Herbert D. Marshall

Improvisation Strategies and Resources, Part 2
By Herbert D. Marshall
Herbert Marshall is assistant professor of music education at The University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor. E-mail: hdm@umich.edu.
T
his is a follow-up to my Spring 2004 duration and interesting to the students. Tonal
column from General Music Today, in patterns should be 2–4 pitches that outline one
which I discussed improvisation in harmonic function; e.g., do–sol–do and sol–mi–-
different styles and shared different resources do are tonic (I) patterns, re–ti–re and re–ti–sol
for improvisation materials. In this column, I are dominant (V) patterns. Notice that these
intend to share techniques to help you start patterns resemble ostinati you might use from
nourishing creativity, or perhaps new ideas to a singing game or Orffestration. Teach simple
try with your students. To help clarify my songs and chants in major, minor, duple, and
expectations and classify student responses, I triple, with obvious phrases, motives, and
use the following terms and definitions: repetition—pieces that follow a predictable
Exploration. Finding personal boundaries, form. When your precocious students start to
using all options, pushing limits. May involve become too familiar with the song or chant,
little preparation, more spontaneity, building you will be able to harness that
confidence, permitting divergent opinions. energy—convert that boredom—by inviting
Creativity. Applying some conditions or them to invent a new twist for the song.
limits, but allowing for great diversity of Establish simple hand signals or signs that
choices. May involve some planning. Building mean “same” and “different.” It must be
a useable repertoire of possible responses. absolutely clear when you want students to
Improvisation. More defined expectations, respond the same as you (like an echo song)
parameters. If there is not a correct or incor- versus responding differently from you (on
rect response, at least there are musical ideas your hand drum, play a pattern that is different
from the learner’s repertoire that are obviously from mine). Movement is an excellent way to
better choices than others. begin, because children already play mirroring
games like Simon Says. Ideas:
1. Tim is the leader. At the end of the first
How To Start
verse, freeze into a statue-shape that is exactly
First, you must have good class control and like Tim’s shape. At the end of the second
rapport with and among students, and the verse, freeze into a shape that is very different
students must know a wide repertoire of from Tim’s shape.
songs, chants, and patterns. Keep it simple! 2. We’re singing a song about playing football
Rhythm patterns should be 2–4 beats in today. I’m thinking about the movement
GMT Fall 2004 37

players use when there is a bone-crushing dominant to tonic, such as “This Old Man,”
tackle. With a partner, think of all the move- “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” or “Long, Long
ments you might see on a football field that Ago.” Sing without words so as to focus only
are different from that tackling movement. on the musical task. Ask individuals if they can
In my experience, once they have success- invent a new ending to the song that starts on
fully used their bodies—and observed their sol and ends on do but gets to do in a new way.
peers—acting out “same” and “different,” You’ve probably taught them enough
most children will be willing to play or chant dominant-tonic cadence formulas to provide
rhythms that are different from those of their many optional endings. Remember to limit the
teacher or peers. Ideas: ending to a certain number of pitches or a
1. Teach a song or chant that is enhanced by specific number of beats unless you have time
rhythmic accompaniment such as “The Noble to treat yourself to a few diva cadenzas!
Duke of York” or “Are You Sleeping.” After If students can invent endings, then they
students have mastered a rhythmic ostinato to can invent variations on other parts of the
the piece, have them work in groups to create tune. For this, it is best to start with tunes that
a new pattern to repeat. can be harmonized using only two chords,
2. To assess individuals, pause the piece in the such as tonic and dominant. You may be
middle to open up a 4- or 8-beat solo break. inclined to start with pentatonic melodies, but
First the teacher models a rhythmic solo, then I would use that only as a brief readiness
students perform solos. If this is their first activity. I find that children get bored quickly
solo performance, give students some think when there is no dissonance, because it is the
time to work out their ideas. dissonance that will guide them to find the
Use same and different movement and best fit. When we’re improvising in pentatonic,
rhythm activities to lay the foundation, and I can never quite tell if they’re making musical
praise students who take risks. For some decisions or simply noodling around the
students, it takes a long time to be comfortable pitches.
with the process of exploring or creating—it’s “Polly Wolly Doodle” and “Long, Long
easier to imitate. When most of your students Ago” are good tunes in the major
have a good sense of pitch and are using tonic/dominant category; “Joshua” and “Zum
singing voices, transition into tonal creativity. Gali Gali” are examples in minor tonality. I’ve
Ideas: had even more success with modal tunes that
1. Ask the class to reverse or invert 2- and 3- use only tonic and subtonic, such as “Drunken
pitch patterns. You might sing do–mi–sol and Sailor,” “Oh, Sinner Man,” and “Old Joe
guide the students to sing sol–mi–do or another Clark.” By limiting choices in this manner, the
variation on your pattern. Do the same with students can concentrate on making changes at
dominant patterns. Use the patterns on voices obvious and predictable points in the song and
or pitched percussion to accompany can formulate a plan. I urge you to hear
tonic/dominant songs students improvise with their voices before
2. Sing simple folk melodies that have a brief you transfer these ideas to instruments such as
final phrase that melodically moves from pitched percussion or recorders. You will learn
GMT Fall 2004 38

much more about what is actually going on in attempts to nurture spontaneous improvisa-
their audiation and reinforce the idea that tion only produced groups of children who
singing is the core of what we do. While I spontaneously refuse to improvise. When I got
agree that we are working with a wide diversity up the nerve to revisit this process, I had
of vocal ability, I have found improvisation to much more success with a sequential approach
be a great relief in this regard. Students can and a “safety net” of parameters. These
choose their most reliable tempo and tessitura. activities have become my favorites in the
Many students will find this a liberating and classroom, because students beam when they
rewarding exercise. perform their own musical ideas, and I learn
I realize that some adhere to the definition so much more about what musical skills they
of improvisation as spontaneous creativity possess and can access. This year, I urge you
whereas I am advocating parameters, planning, to try this process. You’ll love it.
and time to think. That is because I, like many
of you, found that in primary school my
GMT Fall 2004 39

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