Imagine a place where kids can move to music, create fun piano ensembles, play together, sing together, and build music skills.  

All children are welcome, regardless of their musical ability.

That’s what it’s like for kids who are in an Orff-Schulwerk classroom.

Today’s blog post is by composer and teacher Kay Lowry.

If you’ve never heard of Orff Principles, and if you’ve never created an ensemble in your studio, then you don’t want to miss this article!

How to Create Fun Piano Ensembles with Orff Principles

By Kay Lowry, at Piano Music for Kids

Have you heard of the composer and pedagogue Carl Orff? 

Orff’s principles of music education have spread all across the globe. 

It’s hard to explain Orff methodology in a short article and do it justice.  

Basically, children in an Orff classroom learn through playing, singing, movement, creating, sol-feg, and more!  

Orff classrooms are equipped with beautiful instruments that inspire musicality, singing with a beautiful tone, and creativity.  

Here’s a video of a simple song with gorgeous Orff accompaniment: Orff Sing Play Dance

For a more in depth look at the method – try this site: What is Orff-Schulwerk

Most of you are independent studio owners.   

Can the Orff method translate from the classroom to the studio?

How to Arrange a Piano Ensemble in Orff-inspired Style

You can have an Orff-inspired studio by creating fun piano ensembles for your students!

Orff teachers in a music classroom, with the beautiful barred instruments, are basically looking at four parts:

1. the melody, which can be played or sung or both
2. the bass line, which is usually one note at a time. This can also be a bottom note and another note a fifth above. The bass line follows the harmony.
3. a middle part, which follows the harmony and uses open fifths.  These fifths can be harmonic, or they can be melodic with different rhythm patterns.  The easiest is harmonic with two notes, one in each hand.  More complicated are these patterns :  Left >right>left>right, or left>right>right>right.  These examples are from 4/4 time.
4. a melodic fragment or decoration on the very highest bells.  This can be a small motive that is repeated.

Parts 2, 3, and 4 follow the harmony.

Think of the piano in three regions: the bass notes (from the bottom note all the way up to the C below middle C.) 

Then comes the middle region (C below middle C to E above middle C). 

The top region (F above middle C to the highest note.)

These regions are not set in stone. 

For some songs, the regions may shift a little, to allow for more space between players.

You can arrange an Orff-inspired piano ensemble with three parts, and all the children could play on one piano! 

If you have other pianos, children can play the parts on separate pianos. 

Do you have more than three students? 

Why not get them singing and moving, Orff-style? 

Add some rhythm instruments. 

Have children learn all the parts and rotate them.

There are so many possibilities! 

Here are your 3 steps to Create Fun Piano Ensembles that are Orff-inspired:

1) Notate your melody. 

You might want to teach the melody by rote; or, notate it in the area around middle C.  The pianist will play this melody at LEAST one octave higher than written; maybe two. Here’s an easy example:

2)  Notate the bass line according to the harmony. 

Keep it simple for young kids.  I would use tonic and dominant as much as possible.  I am notating it here in actual pitches; you might want to teach your young beginners by rote.

3)  Decide on a middle part. 

You will want to use open 5ths in this harmony. Avoid the third of the chord.  If the melody has a moving rhythmic part, try longer notes in the other parts.  In other words, leave space for the melody to be heard.  For this song, I have two examples:

Students can play the above part with one hand, either left or right.  OR – they can use one finger of each hand.  Here’s another choice:

In this example, the student would play the lower notes with a left hand finger, and the upper notes with a right hand finger.

You might be thinking – these harmonies break voice leading rules! You are CORRECT!

You also might be thinking – this arrangement doesn’t sound like the best arrangements I have heard. You are CORRECT AGAIN!

Here’s an example of how the parts might work together:

The POINT of the Orff-inspired ensembles is this:  Make the accompaniment parts extremely pattern-based, so that ALL kids can have a shot in playing in the ensemble.

You can make these songs as easy or as hard as you like. 

You can even add a 4th part – obbligato!

I have used this method to create ensembles for holidays, summer camps, and recitals.  Here’s an example of a Christmas tune: We Three Kings – a pre-reading ensemble

Here’s another example I have used in summer camp: Yellow- a multi-level ensemble

I hope you are inspired to try this type of playing with your students.  They will have a blast!

If you are interested in checking out some of the Orff-inspired ensembles I have created, have a look at these links:

• Christmas Music
• Yellow piano ensemble

Enjoy creating, moving, and playing together with your students!

About Kay Lowry

Kay is a piano teacher dedicated to helping people learn and love music! For over 40 years, Kay has been teaching children through her studio, classroom, or choir room.  She hopes to help parents, kids, and teachers have joy and fun as they continue in the journey of music making. When not teaching or creating, Kay is busy with her two grandsons, her miniature dachshund, and keeping up with her energetic husband of 42 years!

Follow Kay online

• Kay’s website: Piano Music for Kids
• Kay’s Instagram: @mskaypiano
• Kay’s YouTube Channel: @beginningpiano
• Kay’s Facebook Page: Kay Lowry Piano
  
  
  

How do you create fun piano ensembles in your studio?

I’d love to hear about the piano ensembles you do in your studio! Do you use written music? Rote? Are you going to try something new after reading this article? Comment and share your thoughts!

Even more blog posts to inspire your teaching:

• How to Start Teaching Piano Students Music Composition
• How to Teach Chords to Piano Students
• Host a Fun Camp for Music Composing