APPROACH THE
ORFF APPROACH
As
applied in our Music Education modules, the contributions of Carl
Orff (1895-1982) are treated as a general approach to music education that
is best applied by integrating it with related approaches such as Eurhythmics
and Kodály
pedagogy. There are music
education programmes that apply Orff more as a carefully sequenced method known
as Orff-Schulwerk, most commonly with younger children.
These programmes usually draw on published materials and prioritise the
use of so-called Orff
instruments.
What
is emphasised in our programme are the essential principles that Orff was
advocating, principles that can be observed in various contemporary musical arts
and practices, for example, the ‘cipher’ sessions that Hip Hop ‘heads’
like to participate in, and are clearly manifest in much traditional music
making, especially in Africa. These
principles can be applied in different ways making possible approaches that can
be applied in almost any music education context, using musical materials from
just about anywhere, and with students of all ages.
Orff
principles
Unifying
music, movement, speech and drama in ‘elemental music’ making
In
an Orff approach, music, movement and speech are combined and integrated as much
as possible. In its emphasis
on movement, the approach is very similar to that of Emile Jaques-Dalcroze (see Eurhythmics),
not surprising given Orff’s work in the 1920s with Mary Wigman, a student of
Dalcroze. ‘Elemental music’
refers to the spontaneous ‘performances’ of musically untrained children in
which music, movement and speech are combined. Orff believed that the musical
development of individuals follows the evolution of musical cultures, hence his
emphasis on primal music making as a logical starting point, something that
children do already in play activity.
Feeling
precedes intellectual understanding, hence, ‘doing’ before ‘learning
about’
In
music making, what one feels (understands kinesthetically) is more important
than what one knows and is able to verbalise.
The Orff approach starts with rhythm because it is the primal musical
element and the one that comes most naturally to the child because s/he has
experienced it from birth in so many life activities.
Emphasis
on speech rhythms familiar to the child
The
innate rhythmic aptitude of children is clearly revealed in the speech patterns
and rhymes that feature so commonly and universally in their play activity.
These provide a logical basis for developing a physical grasp of rhythmic
and melodic concepts, e.g. note values, metre, accent, and form.
Exploitation
of ostinato based musical activity – grooving!
Though
Orff probably never applied the term, he was in effect promoting a groove based
approach to group music making and movement activities in music education.
Grooves result through the combination of rhythmic and melodic ostinati
(repeated patterns) and provide accompaniment for movement, singing, rhyming,
chanting, and playing instruments. Orff
also encouraged the use of drones (sustained, unchanging pitches as is found in
Indian classical music) and bourdons (ostinati based on perfect fifths or
fourths).
Child-logic
vs. subject-logic in sequencing of learning activities
A
subject-logic approach to teaching note values would likely start with the
‘whole note’ (semi-breve) and then divide it progressively to get half,
quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes. But
this does not jibe with how children initially engage in music making.
The chants, rhymes and songs they know mostly consist of quarter notes
(crotchets) and eight-notes (quavers).
The Orff approach is similar to the Kodály approach in the way the
singing voice is developed, starting with the falling minor third (so – mi)
and gradually adding to it to produce pentatonic and, later, diatonic modes.
They both regarded the falling minor third as the natural chant of
childhood, that is, as the interval that most children would grasp most easily.
The conventional major and minor pentatonic scales have no semitones and
contain two minor thirds. Using
these ensures that the resulting music will always be harmonically consonant.
Appropriate
instruments for early experiences in playing music
The
body and the voice are the primary musical instruments and an Orff approach can
successfully be applied using nothing else.
But, the experience of music making is obviously enriched through playing
instruments, especially when satisfying musical results are easily achievable.
Drums and simple rhythm instruments such as shakers, clavés, and
scrapers are what Orff considered logical choices.
To introduce pitched instruments, Orff redesigned xylophones and
metallophones to make them more easily playable by children.
These come in different pitch ranges (bass, alto, etc.) and have bars
that can be removed from the wooden frame that serves as a resonator.
They are available in chromatic sets, but the diatonic sets come with
additional bars for F# and Bb which make possible a wide array of modes/scales.
Logical
process for developing concepts of and skills in music
Imitation is the most basic way of learning music (among other things such as language) and is fundamental to the Orff approach. It is also the central principle of the Suzuki’s ‘mother tongue approach’. For each new concept or skill, the process that should in most cases be followed is as follows:
Observe - Imitate - Experiment - Create
As students become more proficient in applying this process, the teacher’s role should lessen, eventually to the point that the teacher becomes superfluous.
Ensemble
consciousness
While students need to discover musical qualities for themselves, the real mark of musical accomplishment is the ability to integrate what one is doing with what others are doing at the same time, that is, to be part of an ensemble. This engenders such positive interpersonal qualities as empathy and cooperativeness.
Improvisation
as vital learning activity
Improvisation
is the act of spontaneously creating something and in the musical arts is the
most important indicator of developing musicianship.
It is also a crucial means of exploring musical ideas for later
combination into complete musical compositions.
The
case for improvisation in music education has been presented in some depth
elsewhere on this website.