beleduc Rhythm Box Spielanleitung Seite 8

Triangle
The triangle is a percussion instrument made from a round steel rod. The rod is bent to form an equilateral triangle which is left open at
one corner. The instrument is suspended at the upper angle from a loop of thin cord, which is either held in the hand or hung on a triangle
stand. The triangle can also be played while held in the hand without a cord. The triangle is struck with a steel rod. For loud tones (forte) the
horizontal bott om bar is used and for soft tones (piano) the top third of the right-hand side. A "triangle roll" can be made by striking the two
sides repeatedly in quick succession.
Claves
Claves are played by laying one of the pair of wooden sti cks fl at in the curved hand. The bent fi ngers provide a resonati ng space. To allow the
wood to vibrate, the clave has to be held loosely in the hand. The other clave is now used to strike it from above, horizontally and at an angle
of about 60°.
The acousti c properti es of claves give them a dry sound with hardly any resonance. Many songs and tunes can be rhythmically accompanied
in this way. Claves originally come from Africa and have gained importance especially in Lati n-American music.
In the following secti on you can fi nd two examples of rhythm exercises in which all fi ve instruments are used. These provide you with an opportunity to give
the children a clearer idea of music basics like the bar and the distributi on of notes (or in our case, entries) over a certain ti me.
Count the beats out loud together from 1 to 4. The colours will help you to recognise the entries of the diff erent instruments. Your counti ng speed sets the
pace for the entries. So count fairly slowly to begin with, to make it easier for the children to come in at the right ti me.
Tips for kindergarten teachers
One, two three – keep the rhythm (Age: 4+)
Keeping in ti me, count with the children to four. Count slowly, then count fast. What changes? Now bring in the instruments, for instance by getti ng the
children to play them on beat 2 and 4. What changes if you count faster or slower? And what does it sound like if half the group play their instruments
on beat 1 and 3 as well? In this way you can give the children a rhythm lesson in which they learn to recognise the connecti on between sounds and
ti me.
Colour and sound (Age: 4+)
Some people see certain colours when they hear certain sounds. This is known as synaesthesia. What colours do the children associate with sounds?
Do deeper tones also have deeper colours? Let the children paint a picture, e.g. while you play them classical music. Are there any children in the
group who can "see" the sounds?
Singing together (Age: 5+)
Explain to the children what a "round" (or "canon") is, and choose a simple round that you can sing together. The children can also accompany their
singing with the instruments (played quietly!). This develops self-regulati on and listening to each other.
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