Body percussion is an important part of music education in early childhood. What is it and how can you introduce young children to it? Show
Here are some simple tips and ideas of body percussion for kids. What is Body Percussion?Body percussion refers to the sounds which are made by body parts such as the hands, feet, fingers and mouth. The body is used like an instrument, to produce rhythmic sounds. It may be used on its own, or along with music and dance. [source] What are the 4 Main Body Percussion Sounds?There are four main sounds that can be produced with body percussion:
Examples of Body PercussionHere are some examples of body percussion sounds:
What are the Benefits of Body Percussion?There are many benefits to introducing children to body percussion. It:
How do you Teach Kids Body Percussion?Incorporating a body percussion lesson is easy and fun to do with preschoolers, toddlers and even older children. It can also be taught at home with simple activities. Teach kids action songs with words that tell them how to move their bodies (‘we all clap hands together…’) and choose songs that are rhythmic and have a consistent beat to them. The examples below are common children’s songs and rhymes that your kids will already know, so it will be easy to follow along by substituting with body sounds. Allow kids to make these sounds together, creating an ensemble so that the whole group is making the same sounds and therefore ‘making music’. Teach kids what percussion instruments are and how our bodies make sounds similar to these instruments. Here are some simple body percussion activities to try with your kids at home or at school. 1. We All Clap Hands TogetherStart introducing the body percussion basics through a simple, repetitive song such as this one. Replace any of the movements in the verses. We all clap hands together, We all stamp feet together, We
all slap knees together, We all tap fingers together, 2. This is the Way We Tap Our FingersThis is another well-known song you can replace the words of. It is originally a song about brushing teeth, washing hands and getting ready in the morning. This is the way we tap our fingers, This is the
way we click our tongues, (click) This is the way we slap our thighs, This is the way we snap our fingers, 3. If You’re Happy and You Know It‘If you’re happy and you know it’ is a favourite among kids. Start with the original first verse and then replace the actions as you go. If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. 4. The Ants Go MarchingThis last song is also great for creating body percussion as it has a steady beat, which makes it good for getting a group of children to follow the beat together. Sing the words as normal and give your kids instructions for each verse, such as tap, clap, stomp or click to the entire verse. The ants
go marching one by one, Here are the words to substitute for the rest of the verses: Two by two: The little one stops to tie his shoe 5. Play Sounds to MusicAnother way to teach body percussion is to listen to music and tap, click, stamp or clap along to the beat. This is a good way to learn to follow the rhythm of the music. Play music with different tempos so children get used to speeding up or slowing down as they make sounds with their body parts. 6. Introduce Music InstrumentsMany body percussion sounds closely resemble those of percussion instruments. Teach children to hear the similarities in the different sounds. Play a musical instrument (or find the tune on YouTube if the instrument is not available), ask your kids to listen to the sound and then make that sound with their bodies. See if they can find a similar sound, then suggest one of these:
If you have real instruments available, try playing an ensemble where some children play the instrument to the beat, while others use body percussion. Or, play a tune that has an instrument playing the beat and use the body to make sounds along with it. Read about the many benefits of musical instruments. 7. Play Clapping GamesClapping games are great for teaching rhythm and building a child’s coordination. Here are some clapping games for all levels, from preschoolers to older kids. Substitute some of the clapping with tapping and clicking to use these songs for body percussion activities. Those are just a few ideas for incorporating percussion into music and movement for kids. For more ideas, try these music games. Source: Le Roux, A. 2011. Music in Early Childhood Development and the Foundation Phase. Le Roux: Pretoria Get FREE access to Printable Puzzles, Stories, Activity Packs and more!Join Empowered Parents + and you’ll receive a downloadable set of printable puzzles, games and short stories, as well as the Learning Through Play Activity Pack which includes an entire year of activities for 3 to 6-year-olds. Signing up for a free Grow account is fast and easy and will allow you to bookmark articles to read later, on this website as well as many websites worldwide that use Grow. |