At the beginning of the school year, when choosing an instrument to introduce first to students, drums (tubanos) would be high on the list of what I’d put in front of them.
Am I crazy? Maybe, but I want students to understand how to approach an instrument respectfully and since tubanos are kind of indestructible, it seems like a good choice.
Students get so excited by the prospect of a drum, their own drum, placed in front of them that they sometimes go bonkers. But it’s an opportunity to discuss, demonstrate, and practice being a responsible member of an ensemble, classroom procedures, signals, and more.
How To Get Started
Purchasing Drums: Determine Needs and Budget
- How many do I need? Consider your space and budget. Similarly to my suggestion for building a barred instrument inventory, you might consider 1 drum for every 2 students. Again, peer-to-peer learning is a powerful tool in learning and classroom management!
- Realize that in drum ensembles, some students will play other unpitched percussion (UPP) instruments instead of drums.
Types of Drums
Tubano Drums: Great for general use, extremely durable.
- Sizes: 10’’ 12’’ 14’’ An even number of each is typical and offers distinct timbres within an ensemble.
- Tuned or untuned? Notice how some tubanos have lever/keys on the side of the drum head…this is for tuning. Some tubanos do not have this mechanism. Typically the tuned tubanos have a better sound quality; the un-tuneable tubanos are more affordable.
Djembes: Provide deep bass and high tones, and have a unique
timbre that cuts through an ensemble. They can be challenging for students to hold between their knees (these are not to be played standing up on the floor) so there are djembes holders like this OR this.
- Bucket Drums: Cost-effective, and stackable so that they can save on space.
- Rhythm Lids: Pre-tuned heads are designed to fit snugly on 5, 6, and 7-gallon U.S.-made pails. Both bucket drums with or without the lids are space and cost-efficient!
Hand/Frame Drums: at the core of Orff Schulwerk are hand drums and they can also fit some buckets/pails as well.
Storage
Some folks have built-in little “garages” to place each drum, others
line a wall in their classroom with drums, and others (like me right now, with no storage, as we are under heavy construction) stack drums on top of each other. I’m not crazy about stacking them, but it works for now. Or simply, line the parameter of your room so to keep them out of the way.
Curriculum
- Similarly to what I mentioned about recorder use in your classroom, decide the role drumming will play within your overall curriculum. Would you like a lengthy unit or use it as a part of an existing ensemble?
- Drumming is a great way to demonstrate
- the difference between beat vs. rhythm
- independent ensemble playing
- weave in cultural significances that relate to the repertoire you’ve chosen
- use as accompaniment for those songs that have challenging chord changes
- Did you attend a certification level of Orff Schulwerk this summer? Pull out your Rhythmische Ubung! and transfer any of those exercises to drums (pat=low tone; clap=high tone)
- MIE has a wealth of drumming curriculum you can choose from.
Classroom Management
- Set-Up: Depending on the purpose of the drum activity, I sometimes set up in 3 rows, 10’’ drums in front, followed by 12’’, and 14’’ in the back row. Other times we create a circle.
- Sitting: If you can, have students sit on something to play with because kneeling is hard on their knees and they naturally get wiggly. Ikea has these terrific stools that are stackable AND very affordable! This is what use.
- Signals: Together, create signals for stopping/starting the ensemble.
- BP to drum: Consider having students learn the drum piece first on their bodies, using pat/clap, then transfer to drums.
- Sensory Issues: anticipate that you may have a student who becomes overwhelmed by the sound of the drums and have a pair of headphones or earplugs ready.
Practical Tips
- Add UPP Instruments: Include some unpitched percussion (UPP) instruments to add interesting and independent layers to the ensemble.
- Community Building: Drum circles are a big plus to any SEL curriculum and create an outlet for discussions around teamwork, consideration, and risk-taking, and can be a contributor to developing a safe space for student expression and creativity.
- Train students to set up and clean up in an orderly and safe fashion.
Create some ground rules with your students and you will be on your way to managing an exciting musical experience that asserts the importance of steady beat and other rhythmic skills while building a special sense of community that only happens in the music room!