Drum Circle Ideas for the Elementary Classroom

Nothing quite spells excitement like a DRUM is placed before a student!  Whether you’re using bucket drums, hand drums, or tubanos, the physical act of hitting a drum offers immediate engagement for students.  And somehow, the set-up of a simple circle seems to draw all kinds of opportunities for inclusivity, teamwork, confidence building, collaboration, leadership, self-regulation, and opportunities for risk-taking. Whew! That’s pretty comprehensive!  Let’s set it up:

Classroom Management

• • Set-Up:  Depending on the purpose of the drum activity, I sometimes set up in 3 rows: 10’’ drums in front, 12’’ as the middle row, 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.
  • Signals:  Together, create signals to stop/start the ensemble.
  • Sensory Issues:  If you anticipate that a student may become overwhelmed by the sound of the drums, have a pair of headphones or earplugs ready.

Technique:

• • Demonstrate the low tone in the drum’s center and the high tone on the rim.
  • “Hot Stove”:  Hands should bounce off in an up/down motion while keeping close to the drum head, like seeing if a burner on a stove is hot.
  • Alternate hands when playing.

Warm-Up

• • Sitting in a circle, the teacher, as facilitator, uses two different-sized drums, striking them gently with sticks.  This allows your beat to cut through the rest of the circle. If it’s a younger grade, play a simple quarter note beat, alternating between high/low drums.  Upper elementary is offered a beat/ostinato that’s consistent but a little more sophisticated.
    • Everyone’s rhythm can be different as long as it fits within the beat
  • Time Stops For No One!
    • The teacher plays the steady beat/ostinato.
    • Go around the circle, saying each student’s name individually, inviting them to play their rhythm WITHIN the established 4-beat slot.  Aim for seamless starts and stops.
    • Repeat, go in the order of the circle, but without saying their name.  Make eye contact.
  • Popcorn!
    • Facilitate the same established beat from the previous variation.  Instead of going in the order of the circle, cue students by name, randomly (like kernels of corn popping) every 4 beats.
    • Invite each student to perform only through eye contact, without verbal cues.
  • Word List
    • Make a word list to help students start with a steady and consistent ostinato.  Using text is often a student’s best friend regarding reliable rhythmic support. Maybe the list is their favorite movies, food, or candy. Ensure word choices equal 2-4 beats, and suggest they choose two from the list.  The teacher keeps a steady beat using two different sizes of drums, striking them carefully with a mallet/rhythm stick. Encourage students to rest, then choose two different words from the list.

Choose A Rhyme

Honestly, know what I do? I choose the text from almost any activity listed in Purposeful Pathways.  This series is a good resource for interesting yet predictable texts, many of which allow students to identify symmetrical patterns easily.

• • Transfer the text to a drum, deciding with students which words should be played as a low tone/high tone.
  • I love texts that have a rest here and there. It’s the perfect opportunity for a UPP to punctuate the texture!
  • Create an ostinato by choosing a snippet of the text or creating one with students.
  • Create an ensemble:
    • Low drums=steady beat
    • Medium drums=snippet ostinato
    • Small drums=text
    • Add UPP on rests; something from the shaker family playing eighth notes
• Add a B section, consider:
  • • UPP, only with the steady beat in low drums, plays solo
    • Create a word chain that relates to the original text
    • 8-beat solo improvisations over the steady beat
    • Question and answer improvisations between paired students
• Dress it up!  Add cowbell experiment with different shaker UPP.  Can the whole piece be transferred to UPP?  Could that be a B section?

Get that RU out!  Yes, the Rhythmische Ubung!  Whatever you choose, practice it first on body percussion, then transfer it to drums!  Patting/stomping=low tone; the clap=high tone, and if there’s a rest or a snap, consider maybe a gong, triangle, finger cymbals, slapstick, or vibraslap….sky is the limit!

Resources and Equipment:

So the “recipe” for a drum circle can consist of just drums like tubano drums, djembes, and/or bucket drums– this is the “cake” in the recipe.  If you can,  add a “filling” like unpitched percussion as an alternative or B section or addition to the ensemble.  Finally, the “icing” on top, like maracas, shakers, sleigh bells, or tambourine

Drumming provides a dynamic and flexible platform for creative exploration by emphasizing a steady beat, developing a foundation in rhythm, offering opportunities to incorporate cultural traditions, and so much more.  Experiment with kids, allowing a safe space where we all fail and succeed over time.  You’ll build a sense of inclusivity and, ultimately, great relationships that create a community.