Rebecca Trautman

Carl Orff
Methods of Elementary Music
Cassandra McMahan
February 9, 2015

Carl Orff was a talented composer and is still a well-regarded music philosopher. His

interest in music started at a young age as he learned piano from his mother and participated in

friendly musical gatherings at his home in Munich. He studied at the Akademie der Tonkunst and

later with Monteverdi. Orff specialized in music for dramas and was continually expanding his

knowledge of different styles of music with which to incorporate into his dramatic compositions.

In 1923, at the age of 28, Carl Orff became acquainted with Dorothee Gnther and together they

founded the Gntherschule in Munich. The education given at this institute was centered around

elements of speech, movement and dance in relation to music. Following the foundation of this

academy, Orff taught for many years, gave lectures and discourses, composed music, and

continued to experiment and formulate his theories on the best possible way to provide a sound

musical education.

Carl Orffs pedagogy is developmental at its core, starting at a more basic level and

growing in complexity as a student progresses through the lessons. Orff was a firm believer of

learning music through movement and experimenting and often incorporated these aspects into

his teachings. Carl Orff understood that his students always learned best by experiencing and

doing. He gained these insights and formulated others from the idea of elemental music. This

describes the childs natural production of rhythm and music as relatable to lifes experiences

(speech, drama, primal culture, etc.) and as an example of community learning.

This principle of elemental music was the foundation for Carl Orffs Schulwerk

which was broken down into four stages: imitation, exploration, literacy, and improvisation. In
the imitation stage a variety of methods can be used. The first being simultaneous imitation

where the original action and the response of the student are almost simultaneous. For example,

when a teacher demonstrates different percussive body sounds like clapping, snapping, or patting

the thighs and the children follow along with these actions. Another method of imitation is

remembered imitation where after the teacher has fully given a rhythm pattern or melodic motive

the students then repeat the full pattern back to them. This method helps increase musical and

rhythmic memory which will aid in the process of improvisation. The last method of imitation is

overlapping imitation and is best exemplified by the use of a canon. The teacher starts with one

rhythmic pattern or melodic motive that the students then repeat while simultaneously listening

to/watching the teacher for the next pattern that they will have to reproduce. This helps develop

not only their music producing skills but also their critical listening skills.

The next stage after imitation is exploration. This is just another critical stepping stone

leading toward the larger goal of improvisation. This step is used to challenge students to make

musical ideas their own. They are encouraged to participate in composition of original melodies

and rhythmic patterns along with taking already-written melodies and manipulating them. They

are encouraged to experiment with expressive techniques, making a piece shift dynamics, speed

up or slow down, played legato or with heavy accents, etc. They are also encouraged to try

different technical aspect such as trying the piece in a different mode (major to minor), changing

registers, using different instruments, adding or taking out notes with in the rhythm, etc. The

music is only limited by the imagination in this stage. Orff classrooms are alive with this sense

of discovery because students are constantly being challenged to manipulate musical ideas in

original ways (Frazee 29).

 The third stage in Schulwerk is Literacy. Orff stressed a sound before symbols

pedagogy, but does understand the value of teaching children to be musically literate when they

are a bit older and have progressed further in their musical education. Notation is first introduced

by pure rhythms and is broken down into subdivisions while a steady pulse is established to put

the rhythms into context. The notation for pitches in then introduced using a limited number of

pitches to start off with. As the students grasp a firm understanding of them more pitches are

added and the relationship between them is shown visually.

The last stage and ultimate goal of the Schulwerk is improvisation. Improvisation is the

culmination of the skills learned in the previous stages and is a great demonstration of the

students musical independence. Improvisation can be used in all grades at different levels of

complexity (ex. Rhythmic patterns, melodic motive, instrumental improvisation, etc.). These

smaller improvisations build up to become phrases and ultimately a form. Improvisation should

not be given purely for the exercise but as a progression to somewhere: there should always be

an end goal. Though students may avoid this exercise at the time, the gratification that they feel

when they have realized the potential of their contribution is a worthwhile experience for them.

Improvisation also provides a valuable evaluation tool for teachers to see how their students have

progressed towards being independent musicians.

Carl Orffs Schulwerk gives teachers a good foundation for developing music skills

throughout elementary schooling and beyond. He shows that music education can simulate

everyday movements or sounds and can even be introduced as musical play. He shows how to

approach music in many different ways and progresses through these methods seamlessly as the

student grows in their own musical ability. Orff details his methods and the progression that he

used so that teachers after him may see what he did and model after him or even improve upon
what he philosophized. By using his method teachers can lead their students to greater musical

independence that will potentially help foster their continual musical growth throughout their

lifetime.
Bibliography

Frazee, Jane, and Kent Kreuter. Discovering Orff: A Curriculum for Music Teachers. Mainz:
London, 1987. Print.

Warner, Brigitte. Orff-schulwerk: Applications for the Classroom. Englewood Cliffs, N.J:
Prentice Hall, 1991. Print.

Music in Childhood Textbook