Syllabus
Introduction to Orff Schulwerk
MPAME-GE.2149 (2 credit hours)
Time/Place: Tuesdays 4:55-6:35pm NYU
I. Course Description: Introduction to Orff: A Multicultural Approach is
designed to immerse music educators in the learning process of Orff
Schulwerk methodology and to develop an understanding of this method.
This course is intended for music educators that teach Kindergarten
through grade 5. The course will consist of discussions lead by the
participants on selected topics based on music education articles and
introductory level Orff Schulwerk philosophy, music theory, pedagogy,
techniques ,orchestration, arranging and improvisation. In addition,
sessions will focus on ensemble performance including rhythmic speech,
body percussion, singing, playing Orff instrumentarium and soprano
recorder, movement, curriculum and lesson plan creation and the use of
multicultural materials in the Orff classroom. All students are expected to
read, practice and complete the assigned weekly materials in order to
contribute to class discussions and ensemble performances.
II. Course Objectives:
The purpose of this course is to help each participant:
 acquire and develop a basic knowledge and understanding of the
application principles of the Orff Schulwerk approach.
 build a foundation for the participants' continued development of
singing, playing Orff instrumentarium and recorder, dance and
movement, arranging and improvisation.
 prepare the student for the successful implementation of the Orff
Schulwerk pedagogy in the elementary/middle music classroom.
 create and develop an Orff arrangement with instrumental
accompaniments and a score that is suitable for children at the
elementary/ middle school level.
 develop, write and teach a basic Orff lesson plan that will include
singing, rhythmic speech, instrument playing, improvisation and
movement.
III. Course Requirements
Required Texts and Materials:
 Yamaha Baroque soprano recorder
 Handouts course packet
 Manuscript paper and/or computer notation software (Finale or
Sibelius).
 Frazee, J. and K.Kreuter. (1987). Discovering Orff : A Curriculum for
Music Teachers. New York: Schott.
 Orff, C. and Keetman, G. (1955). Orff-Schulwerk Music For
Children,Volume I.London: Schott and Co. Ltd.
 Orff, C. and Keetman, G. (1955). Orff-Schulwerk Music For Children,
Volume II.
 Lang, D. (2005). Together in Harmony. Chicago: GIA
 Burakoff G. and Hettrick W.(1980). Sweet Pipes Soprano Recorder
Book One.
IV. Student Assessment:
Course performance will be based on:
 Weekly attendance.
 Satisfactory completion of all reading and written assignments.
 Active engagement in all musical experiences, group work and
discussions.
 Satisfactory completion of all orchestration and arranging
assignments.
 Satisfactory completion of all lesson plan creation assignments.
Week 1: Introduction and topic discussion: Music Education Methods.
The Orff Approach. The Kodaly Concept. Orff and Kodaly Combined.
Mark, L. M. 1996 Contemporary Music Education/Shirmer Books.Third
Edition, New York. Pgs. 125-146
Week 2: Orff Schulwerk Curriculum: Basic Components And Vocabulary.
( rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre, form, choral, dance and movement)
 Rhythmic Ostinato
 Melodic Ostinato
 Chord Bordun
 Simple Bordun
 Broken Bordun
 Level Bordun
 Crossover Bordun
Week 3: Rhythmic Speech, Body Percussion and Orff Instrumentarium:
Unpitched Percussion and Barred Instruments.
Rhythmic Speech: is equal in importance to singing, moving or playing
instruments and can be expressed with natural speech and vocal or
onomatopoeia sounds.
Time/Rhythm:
 rhythmically free structure
 steady beat; simple and compound sub-divisions
 rhythmic patterns drawn from natural speech/rhythmic
ostinatos.
 metric structures: duple and triple groupings, duple and triple
combinations.
Body Percussion: sound gestures (not vocal)made with one's own body
such as snap, clap, patsch( thigh slap), stamp or floor slap.
Unpitched Percussion Instruments: hand drums, triangle, suspended
cymbal, tambourine, claves(rhythm sticks), shakers and finger cymbals. In
addition, other ethnic percussion instruments may be included such as
Latin percussion instruments including conga, rain stick, bongo, guiro,
claves, maracas, ocarinas, agogo bell, cabasa, etc.
Barred Instruments:
 Bass Xylophone (BX)
 Bass Metallophone (BM)
 Alto Xylophone (AX)
 Alto Metallophone (AM)
 Soprano Xylophone (SX)
 Soprano Metallophone (SM)
 Alto Glockenspiel (AGL)
 Soprano Glockenspiel ( SGL)
Week 4: The Use of the Recorder In the Orff Classroom
The recorder is commonly used as an accompaniment to singing and Orff
instruments. It has a high-pitched quality that adds contrast to the Orff
instrumentarium. Participants in the Orff classroom will learn and develop:
 Basic playing and techniques
 Improvisational skills
 Ensemble playing
 Integration of the instrument to the overall performance
 Performance of American and Native American flute songs
Week 5: Singing in the Orff Classroom.
Singing in the Orff Classroom will include the use of:
 Childhood chants and calls
 Singing games
 Folk songs
 Canons and rounds
 Two and three part-songs
 High quality composed songs of both past and present
Basic repertoire will include the Orff-Schulwerk: Music for Children series,
folk music sources, and supplementary elemental music publications.
Week 6: Introduction to Pentatonic Scales and Ostinato Structures in
Common Meters.
I n t r o d u c t i o n t o b a s i c pre-pentatonic patterns: sol-mi, sol-mi-la,
do-re-mi, etc and pentatonic scales built on:
 D o pentatonic
 La pentatonic
 Re pentatonic
 So pentatonic
 Mi pentatonic
 Extended pentatonic
Week 7: Arranging and Improvisation Using Pentatonic Scales and
Ostinato Structures. The pentatonic scale, a musical scale with five pitches
plays a significant role in music education, particularly in Kodaly and Orffbased methodologies at the primary/elementary level. Therefore, students
will learn to create an Orff orchestration using the aforementioned scale
from a given nursery rhyme, poem or folksong.
Week 8: Introduction to Heptatonic Scales and Modes, Mixed Meters and
More Complex Ostinatos.
 Major (C, F and G)
 Minor (Natural) (C, F and G)
 Church Modes
Week 9: MIDTERM-Presentations of original arrangements using nursery
rhymes, poetry, American and multicultural folksongs as the basis for the
compositions(5 min per student).
Week 10: Movement in the Orff Classroom.
Guidelines for integrating movement in the music classroom:
 Physical Development
 Basic Axial and Locomotor Movement
 Shapes
 Space
 Time
 Dynamics
 Form
 Texture
 Impetus for Movement
 Repertoire of World Dances
Week 11: Multicultural Materials-Latin America
Class performances of the following Orff Orchestrations:
 Inca Dance-Ecuador
 Bailecito-Argentina
 De allacito-Perú
Week 12: Multicultural Materials-Africa and Europe
Class performances of the following Orff Orchestrations:
 Balafon-Zimbabwe
 Ventiquattro Gatti Blu-Italy
 Ton Moulin-France
Week 13: Multicultural Materials-China and Asia
Class performances of the following Orff Orchestrations:
 La-Li-Luo Dance Songs Of The Chuxiong Yi-China
 Atsey Zeytim Omdim-Israel
 Deta, Deta-Japan
Week 14: Creating and Teaching an Orff Lesson Plan.
Most useful processes in music lesson planning in the Orff Schulwerk
approach:
 Imitation
 Exploration
 Improvisation
 Composition
 Literacy
Week 15: FINAL PROJECT. Creating and Teaching an Orff lesson plan.
Selected Bibliography
Burakoff G. and Hettrick W.(1980). The Sweet Pipes Recorder Book I.
Ft. Worth, TX. Sweet Pipes.
 Campbell, Patricia Shehan, Sue Williamson & Pierre Perron.
(1996).Traditional Songs of Singing Cultures: A World Sampler:
 Warner Bros Publications.
 Choksy, L. (2001). Teaching Music in the Twenty-First Century/ New
Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
 Diliberto, R. (1999). Mussomeli: Children's Songs From An Italian
Country Town Danbury, CT: World Music Press
 East, Helen, L. (1989). The Singing Sack. 28 Song-Stories from
Around the World. A&C Black, London.
 Frazee, J. and Kreuter.,K. (1987). Discovering Orff : A Curriculum for
Music Teachers. New York: Schott.
 Gill, R. (1981). Have You Any Wool? Three Bags Full! 17 traditional
rhymes for voices and Orff-instruments. A Supplement to Music for
Children. London: Schott.
 Hampton, W. (1995).Hot Marimba! Zimbabwean-Style Music for Orff
Instruments. Danbury, CT: World Music Press.
 Kerlee, P. (1994).Wake Up the Earth and Son of Wake Up the
Earth. World Music Press, Danbury, Conn.
 Kersey. R. E. (1985). Just Five: A Collection of Pentatonic Songs.
Alfred Publishing Staff,
 King, C. (1994). Recorder Routes and Recorder Routes I, Memphis,
Musicraft Publications.
 Lang, D. (2005). Together in Harmony. Chicago: GIA
 Mark, L. M.(1996).Contemporary Music Education: Shirmer Books,
Third Edition. New York
 Orff, C. and Keetman, G. (1955). Orff-Schulwerk Music For Children,
Volume I. London: Schott and Co. Ltd.
 Orff, C. and Keetman, G. (1955). Orff-Schulwerk Music For Children,
Volume II. London: Schott and Co. Ltd.
 Steen, A. (1992). Exploring Orff. A Teacher's Guide. New York. Schott.
 Solomon, J. (1995). Conga Town. Percussion Ensembles for Upper
Elementary and Middle School. Miami: Warner Bros.
 Thrasher, A. R. (2010). La-Li-Luo Dance-Songs of the Chuxiong Yi,
Danbury, CT: World Music Press
 Villarreal Brennan E. (2011). Singing Wind, A - Songs & Melodies From
Ecuador Danbury, CT: World Music Press.
 Wuytack, J. (1994). Musica Activa. An Approach to Music
Education. New York: Schott.
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