Presentation of meters and tonalities through drum and recorder offers a very effective option in capturing the musical mind of young children. The intrigue of the instrument along with the magic of meter and tonality compel children, while providing variety and an invitation to simply listen. A hand drum and a recorder are the most accessible instruments.  Other instruments, however, can be used instead, depending upon your own expertise. An accomplished drummer might choose to use a snare drum consistently, or a tom tom to present Drum Chants. An accomplished instrumentalist might choose to present the Recorder Songs on their prime instrument. A vocalist can effectively sing Recorder Songs on “Too” as a vocal performance, sitting on a step ladder singing rather than playing the recorder. A pianist might play the Recorder Songs on a keyboard.

You will be best served by choosing an instrument that allows you to engage in eye contact with the children, one that you set up before class, and one that you can play from your “step ladder stage.” Having to go to a piano at the other side of the room can break the energy and lose the children, whereas a small keyboard can be played from your lap with direct eye contact with the children. Build effective technique into your use of instruments.

Whatever your choice of instruments, remember that the Drum Chants and Recorder Songs are intended for immersion in meters and tonalities rather than for exposure to instruments of the orchestra or percussion ensemble. The consistency of one rhythm and one melodic instrument will direct children’s attention to the meter or tonality and the differences between meters and between tonalities, rather than to the timbre of various instruments. The goal with beginners is meter and tonality.  Exposure to various instruments can come later [Other Dimensions of Music].

A guitar, autoharp, or other stringed instrument can be used to accompany the occasional Play Song. Of course, instrumental accompaniment is inappropriate with Rhythm Activities, Tonal Activities, Art Songs and Gem Songs, which are to be accompanied only with movement. The simplicity and transparency of the voice most stimulates music learning and encourages singing and chanting. With the occasional string accompaniment to a Play Song, an instrument that you can play while sitting on your “step ladder stage” is most effective, as it allows direct eye contact with the children. Using a string accompaniment for more than one or two Play Songs within a class becomes too much and too staged. We want to communicate by our practices that singing with young children can be spontaneous and something parents can do at home with their children without instrumental skill, and we want meters and tonalities to be the prime characters of our “seamless children’s play,” rather than the accompanying instrument.