The choice of musical instruments used for Ritměa is the result
of very specific ethnomusicological research. Most of them are primitive
in origin. Besides being of symbolic value, these instruments are generally
easy to find, can be manipulated in different ways by children and can be
more easily adaptable to a group situation in which more than one person
is playing.
Each instrument has precise characteristics that help to illustrate
the basic notions of music education such as pitch and rhythm. Furthermore,
according to the shape, the material from which they are made and the different
ways they can be played, the musical instruments listed below are effective
in making certain parts of the body “vibrate” in order to stimulate particular
postures, movements and sensations.
Drums (Earth and Fire) 
The sound of drums expresses vigour and strength (this is especially
true with bigger drums). Children tend to demonstrate attitudes of force
and aggressiveness while playing them. The raw materials used to make primitive
drums (wood, clay, string, leather) all derive from the earth to which they
are symbolically associated. Drums are traditionally held between the legs
when played and tend to make the lower parts of the body, such as the feet,
legs and pelvis, “vibrate”. These parts of the body, being in direct contact
with the ground, allow us to perceive the Earth’s force and stability. Drums
are used, therefore, to accompany feet and leg movements and to demonstrate
rhythmic structures as well as the duration of sounds.
Wooden Flutes
(Air)
The tone of a recorder is light and “airy”. This is not a coincidence.
The first flutes were made from bird bones. Their shape often recalled
that of winged animals. They were able to reproduce the sound of the wind.
The high tones of wooden flutes make the upper part of the body “vibrate”.
For this reason, they are used to accompany movements of the hands, arms,
chest and head. They are also associated with body positions that tend upwards
as well as movements that the imagination associates with flying. A child’s
first approach to a recorder is to treat it like a stick and then to blow
hard through it, creating penetrating and aggressive sounds. Gradually,
the children are instructed in basic recorder technique, learning to make
simple melodies and distinguish between high and low pitches.
Rattles (Water)
Rattles, especially those made from dried gourds or seeds, create a sound
similar to that of water. They are associated with calmness and relaxation,
bringing to mind the sensation felt by listening to waterfalls and rapids.
They also recall femininity. The shapes of rattles, in fact, tend toward
rotundity, and children like to touch, hold and hug them.
The Voice and Breathing
Probably the oldest and most used instrument of all, the voice is
of particular interest to children because it is part of their body and requires
no other auxiliary device. Furthermore, children perceive the voices of
their mothers while still in the womb, learning early on the nuances of this
important means of communication. Voices and breathing can create a myriad
of sounds that can be associated with a wide range of movements and situations
in which children interact with other objects. Voices are used to create
rhythms and melodies, as well as develop the association between language
and music.
Each of the instruments above is used to elaborate different pitch
and rhythm variations. The children are guided to perceive sensations that
derive from loud and soft, high and low and fast and slow. They learn to
make choices and combinations, creating “compositions” of their own that
are significant to them and that they can share with others. These instruments
alone are sufficient in learning the basics of music. They also capable
of having an effect on the entire body, stimulating corresponding body poses
and movements that give more meaning to the sounds.
Other instruments can be incorporated into the Ritměa method, such
as stringed instruments, different wind instruments, idiophones (such as
bells, whereby the part that vibrates is the instrument itself) and the guided
listening of musical performances.
Silence and immobility are also fundamental to Ritměa. If
a sound that accompanies a movement stops, the body tends to stop spontaneously
in a position that conserves the “echo” of the preceding movements. In other
words, these moments of silence/immobility, which are extraneous to the child’s
nature, emphasise the sensations induced by the stimulation of sound. It
is fundamental to alternate between sound/movement and silence/immobility
because this favours a process by which the child identifies more with the
symbol he/she is representing. It also allows children to learn to listen
to their own breathing and experiment states of relaxation. Ritměa incorporates
several yoga positions into its approach to reinforce the effect created
by silence and immobility.
|