e-Orch Teaching Manual: Curriculum and Resources

Exercise 3: Pulse And Pause
Objective
Students will learn to maintain a steady pulsation (Level 1) and perform
different rests accurately (Level 2)
Number of participants
4-20
Seating Plan
Students sit as an inward-facing circle; instructor stands at the centre
GarageBand configuration
1. Suggested configuration: Acoustic Drums->SoCal
Level 1 - Steady Pulse
Procedures
1. Instructor selects a student, suitable tempo and direction (clockwise/
anti-clockwise) to begin with
2. After 4 preparation drum beats given by the instructor, the first
student starts by playing ‘B’ (bass drum) for 1 beat, which is
immediately followed by the next participant, doing the same,
and so on - there is no rest in between participants
3. Students should try to maintain the tempo as they can
4. Instructor may assist, correct or stop the students whenever the
pulse goes either too fast or slow
5. Instructor can end the exercise at anytime
6. *Instructor may adjust the difficulty by varying the tempo (e.g.
speeding up)
Level 2 - Leave A Leap
Procedures
1. Depending on the rest the instructor wants to drill, design a short
rhythm
An example for drilling a quaver rest:
Bar 1 2
Drum B B B B B B B B B B
2. Instructor selects a student, suitable tempo and direction (clockwise/
anti-clockwise) to begin with
3. According to the selected tempo, instructor plays the metronome on
GarageBand until the end of the warm-up
4. Rehearse the drill until the students can perform accurately
5. Instructor intentionally blanks a note as the rest (in this example,
a quaver)
Bar 1 2
Drum B B B B B B _ B B B
6. Rehearse with the students by replacing the blanked note with
clapping
7. After they can perform accurately, replace the ‘clapping note’ with
complete silence
8. Instructor explains to students what they have done is a rest (a
quaver rest in this example)
9. *Instructor may adjust the difficulty by varying the blanked note,
length of the rhythm phrase, complexity of the rhythm, number of
percussion instruments used and tempo
Indicator of Success
• Students are able to maintain a steady pulsation (Level 1) and
execute the given rest(s) accurately (Level 2)
10