EXPLORE! Rhythm™ Jam with Family & Friends

What is a Rhythm Jam?

Rhythm jams are like a "rhythm party" where no musical expertise is needed to join the fun! This fun rhythmic experience creates a sense of community and a chance for self-expression. You can improvise music - make it up as you go - using hand drums, body percussion, voices, and other fun percussion toys. Everyone has a blast drumming, clapping, tapping, shaking, scraping, jingling, vocalizing, dancing and smiling! There is no way to do it wrong, so just have fun! Great for all your family and friends!! It's fun to rotate the job of facilitator so everyone can lead the group.

Goals

• Build communication among participants & a sense of community. Everyone gets to "talk" with their instrument
• Create enjoyment and stress reduction
• Develop leadership skills & positive self expression
• Build positive and successful relationship with music in a group

Step 1 - Circle UP!
Get together in a circle if possible, so everyone can see everyone.

Step 2 - Choose your Instrument
Let everyone select an instrument

Percussion families:

• Drum family - drums or soundshapes played with fingers or mallet. Square, sturdy gift boxes make great drums.
• Shaker family - egg shakers or maracas. Make you own with plastic containers with lids and beans.
• Wood family -wood block frogs or pigs w/stick, sambago bells w/mallet (plastic, but sound like wood),
• Metal family - tambourine, jingle stick. Pots and pans add a great metal sound.

Also, encourage the use of body percussion like slapping legs or chest, clapping, or snapping fingers. Using the voice to make rhythmic sounds is very fun, too.

Step 3 - play!!!
Rhythm Games - take turns being the leader

1. Go for the Chaos!
   Let everyone wail on their instrument for a minute or so. This releases tension demonstrates how chaos sounds and feels.

2. Let's all rumble!
   A rumble is done by playing steady and fast. Practice rumbling until everyone entrains and plays together.

   How to get a rumble started:

   Count group in: Say: "One, two let's all rumble." Move hands up and down quickly, like you are drumming.

   Count group out: Say: "One, two, three, four, stop." Cross hands in front of body and move hands out to sides of body - jump up as you do this.

   While group is rumbling:

   Volume up - Get group to play louder and louder. Move hands up in air

   Volume down - Get group to play softer and softer. Move hands and body down towards the floor.

   Sculpt ½ the circle - Divide the group in half and do a teeter-totter with volume. That means: Use a volume up signal with one half of the group and a volume down signal with the other half of the group.

   Sculpt by gender - Signal just the males to play by holding up or showing a symbol that represent males, and then signal just the females to play by holding up or showing a symbol that represent females. Or you can just say "Just the boys play", and then say "Just the girls play". Alternate between boys and girls playing.

   *Note: If the players get into a musical groove, you also can use the above techniques to play with the group's groove.

3. Name Game
   Each person says their name and then plays their own short rhythm; the entire group repeats back (echoes) the name and the rhythm. Each person in the group takes a turn. The use of either instruments or body percussion or a combination of both is fun.

4. I play 4 you play 1
   How to play: - Leader plays 4 beats and the group answers with only 1 beat. Leader can vary the tempo of the 4 beats: They can play a slow tempo and change it to a quick tempo. Group must wait until the 4th beat is played until they can answer with their 1 beat. - This is a really fun listening game. Leader says: "I play 4 and you answer me with 1."

5. Echo or Call & Response
   The leader plays a short (1 measure) rhythm, and the group echoes it back. The group needs to wait for the leader to finish each rhythm before it "echoes" it back. Using the voice in addition to the instrument adds lots of spice!

6. Simple Word Rhythms
   The use of word rhythms or mnemonics is a great way to learn a rhythm. If you can say it you can play it. Remember with any rhythmic groove the group tends to speed up, so it's good to assign someone to play a steady, simple pulse in 4/4 (like 1,2,3,4) in order to keep the foundation for the groove.

   Use these - or make up your own - word rhythms to get a groove going. (You can use any words that fit the rhythm) Each (X) represents a beat.

   

   Assign each player or pairs of players or sections of the group - one of the above word rhythms. Notice how great they sound when played together!

   Use your imagination . . . make up other word rhythms and play them!

7. Other fun ideas
   Keep playing your rhythm and make-up other rhythms while listening to the pulse players and listening to all the instruments. The song you are playing is like a conversation in a group. Listen to each other's rhythms and listen to the spaces between the rhythms.

   Trade off playing the pulse, have at least 2 players keep the pulse while everyone else plays complementary rhythms.

   Get the volume of the instruments down low and add in voices or body percussion. Make up your own fun mouth percussion, singing, chanting, and silly sounds.