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With the chairs still close, introduce a new rhythm:
Either
BbBbB O followed by BbBbB Oo or
B Clap O followed by BB clap clap Oo followed by BB clap,clap,clap OoO
Practice one of these combinations with the tones played on your neighbours drum in a specific direction
Then appoint a change master who can swap the direction of where the Tones will be played by yelling ‘CHANGE’ when the whole group is playing on the Bass - showcase a couple of examples before putting control in the hands of one of these combinations group participants
Play along to the three parts of Foundation Rhythm 3 and see them as they fit together into a rhythm song.
The first pattern we teach in Rhythm2Recovery and the starting point for many exercises. Here showcasing cross-body techniques for improved balance & coordination, as well as two extensions for added challenge and interest.
Introduction.
It is easy to get comfortable in life, staying safe by holding onto old patterns. At the same time, most of us also appreciate the rewards of breaking the status quo and trying something new. Think back to some of those moments when you went out on a limb and tried something new and the sense of adventure that invoked in you
A New Adventure
In this exercise we are going to start with a stable rhythm that represents the status quo - comfortable and safe.
Then in your own time we are going to ask you to ‘take a risk’ and alter your rhythm, maybe just a little to start with, so you don’t lose connection, but gradually moving further away from the old pattern to something completely new - a new pathway, a new adventure! As you experiment with this new direction, try also to stay connected to the underlying pulse that the facilitator will emphasise through the Bass drum. And remember that setting out on a new adventure often require the courage to try different trails before you find the right path.
The group start a foundation rhythm together (e.g. B B O O, B B OoO ) and while the facilitator maintains a strong Bass pulse the group members are encouraged to adapt their individual rhythms to something new. Lower the volume at times to help people connect.
Post group discussion questions:
• Rumble on your drum if you enjoy a new adventure
• Rumble on your drum if you sometimes feel stuck in the same patterns of life
• What are some of the safe patterns in your life that you might like or need to break free from?
• Breaking away from safe patterns that are problematic takes courage - what can help you find the courage to take on a new adventure?
• What might the Bass pulse represent in this exercise?
Note – In this exercise I often identify someone who has moved to a simple but strong new pattern and ask them to keep playing while I stop the rest, and then ask people to join them in their rhythm. And after a while, break away again. You can repeat this several times.
Call and Response to a Rhythm – moving towards improvisation
One person plays a call which is answered by the group and repeats the same sequence (call & response) two more times - after the third response the whole group keeps playing the call as a repeated rhythm. Emphasise the simplicity of this exercise in helping people find their own rhythm and how this starts a longer term, empowering, process of helping people to connect musically through improvisation, rather than through allocated parts.
4 On & 4 Off - Examining Risk
Pre-Discussion - Often we think of risk-taking as something negative, but growth across our lives generally involves a bit of risk - stepping out into the unknown, making yourself vulnerable and trying something new. What are some of the things you recall doing for the first time that involved some risk but were important to your own development?
In this exercise we are going to use the idea of taking a solo on your drum to represent the risks we may need to take at different times in our lives to move forward. But we will also mitigate that risk a little by having the rest of the group hold the Heartbeat for you during your solo. Often when we need to take risks we can put in place measures to ensure we don't fall too far if the risk fails (like a safety net.
Remind people of the basics of the Heartbeat rhythms, then layer in one at a time, allowing people to add their own accents to the Heartbeat foundation.
Heartbeat Solo exercise
Once they are happy improvising tell them that we will play eight rounds - e.g. 4 x the Heartbeat plus accents, and then four rounds of silence with just the Bass pulse & no accents – practice this a few times until they get the timing.
Once comfortable with this sequence (you can still count what round they are up to so they all know when the gap is coming), get them to improvise in pairs in the four rounds of silence – one pair at a time, before everyone returns for the next 4 bars. Then move to individual solos.
Discuss with the group how it felt to go out on a limb, and the types of risks they can envisage needing to take into the future. How important was the group holding the Bass pulse for you?
What are some of things you might do to reduce the consequences of taking these risks if they don't come off as planned?
Try not to use technical musical language – notation etc. – just help them get a feel for the timing.
Community Drum - Layer in Your Rhythm - note this is a core exercise to assist people find their own rhythm. Swap percussion instruments for some of the drums. Each member adds their own rhythm to the mix, one at a time – emphasise using the Bass as a safety point for connection and being prepared to adapt your rhythm if it isn’t working. This exercise can be used to: Showcase the importance of diversity in enriching community; Explore the different elements required in finding harmony with others in society; Examine the issues of connection, tolerance and acceptance that provide people with a sense of belonging.
Discussion: How easy is it to connect with others if your rhythm is running fast? Can you see that timing impacts connection? If you are struggling to connect with others, how important is it to be prepared to change? What things get in the way of connection? What things might help you find a better rhythm, so that you can find harmony with other people in life generally?
This exercise is also useful as an extension for when a therapeutic program finishes - it can form the basis of an ongoing recreational fun drum program.
These are universal patterns that can be used to build confidence. Useful starting rhythms
for improvisation, and as underlying rhythms for many of the R2R exercises.
Reinforce the link across all parts to the Bass note – holding the rhythm together – a
key analogy within the model. Each part is anchored by the Double Bass of the Heartbeat.
Note: Part 6 – you can do a range of different clapping combinations anchored to the
heartbeat
Note: Part 7 – You can do a range of different scratching or rubbing sounds anchored to the
heartbeat
Note: Part 8 – You can do a range of different vocalisations anchored to the heartbeat. Try
using vocal humour to reduce self-consciousness when it comes to using voice, start with
Yawns or Humming or by dividing the group in two with one side - BB “yeah” answered by
the other BB “Naah” or BB “Wicked” answered by BB “Whatever”. Note: singing or
humming is good for improving Vagal Tone and regulation.
Go through each part in succession. Then come back to just the heartbeat (part 1) and have
people layer in, one at a time, with any accent they like, as long as it is anchored to the
heartbeat.
You can cut the group in half (sculpt) and ask one half to keep playing then stop the other
and have them just play the double Bass heartbeat and then reverse roles. Other facilitation
skills can be applied when the group is playing together – volume changes, tempo changes
etc.
Count in the silence to assist those who struggle with timing.
Finish with a 'Fade to nothing'; the group gradually decreasing volume until the sound
disappears
Affirmations using rhythmic music lock-in learning concepts in a strong and robust
way as evidenced in memory studies with people with Alzheimer’s and dementia –
musical memories are amongst the most deeply embedded.
Discuss what the Bass note might represent in term of things that help connect people
together in safe & healthy ways.
Explain how to add in a four Bass break, counting down the rhythm and hitting the Bass note
on the first note of the bar while leaving the next three silent.
Do this four times. Once this is mastered come up with four elements related to one of the
themes below.
After each Bass note in the break the group shout out one of these four in order before
returning to their foundation rhythms.
Note this exercise can be used to highlight a range of themes:
• Four things good friends do for each other
• Four things central to healthy relationships
• Four things that help you overcome adversity
• Four things you can do to stand up to bullying
• Four things that provide you with a sense of safety
And many more………
These foundation rhythms all stress a strong Bass on the first note of every bar (be careful
not to over-emphasise musical notation). This helps participants locate the pulse and timing
of a 4/4 rhythm.
In Rhythm2Recovery a key analogy is around having a stable Base (linked to the Bass note) in
your life and how that connects to values, healthy relationships and belonging.
It is important to provide participants with rhythms they can master quickly in order to build
confidence and maintain engagement. Note the importance of aligning the rhythms to the
developmental capacity of the individual or group mean.
Play one handed first & then showcase two handed options – slowly and without challenging
people’s confidence. Draw attention to the common time signature 4/4 - practice individually
& then perhaps combine the three foundations into a three-part harmony.
The R2R resource package (including the online videos) features a number of different drum
songs designed to allow participants to gradually increase their rhythmic competence on the
drum. These rhythm songs can be found in the appendix of this workbook and can be
viewed on the training videos of the R2R web site. In many sessions, the facilitator combines
rhythmic song practice with exercises that address specific S&E learning issues. More
examples can be found in the book ‘Rhythm to Recovery’, and in our online videos.
Notation – Capital letters refer to an individual’s strong hand; lower case to their non-dominant
hand: B = Bass note, O = Tone note, Fl = Flam notes.
Binary Beats – playing these rhythms across the midline and with both hands
simultaneously is a great exercise for improving cognition, & activating the
parasympathetic restoration cycle.
Bass, Tone, and Flam Exercises.
Part 1 - The key rule is that the 3 notes can only be played in this order (Bass, Tone, Flam).
We are going to pass one strike of the drum, in that order, around the room and see how
fast and smooth we can get it going. First start in a uniform direction around the circle.
Part 2 - Then try this with the same order but one Bass note, followed by two Tones,
followed by three Flams - try doing it nice and slowly in order to get a flowing rhythm going.
Finish with everyone playing this rhythm together – B, O, O, Fl, Fl, Fl. You can try different
combinations in subsequent sessions.
Jump – Try moving the beat around the circle with a Bass note moving the strike to the
person next to you, a Tone note will jump one person, and a Flam will jump two people and
any double strike means swap direction (note each player can only double strike once).
In R2R we use three basic sounds:
Bass (B) - important for the whole hand to hit the drum in the centre of the skin. This is the
key note for connection and grounding – it is important to practice this until a deep resonant
note is obtained.
Tone (O) - important to use the whole length of the fingers, held close together, and avoid
the thumb hitting the edge.
Flam (Fl) - two strikes played almost simultaneously (Slaps or Tones).
In R2R we tend to use the Flam instead of the Slap as our accent note as it is easier to
master and sharp sounds are not therapeutic.
Recommend removing rings and bangles before playing
Emphasise a relaxed hand and bouncing off the drums though the skin was hot.
Demonstrate the three different strikes and put into a rhythm - B O B O, B O B Fl
Extending the teamwork exercise, ‘One to the Right, One to the Left’ to improvisation.
Rhythm practice to develop independence of the two hands and increase aptitude.
This video showcases a simple extension of the basic one handed Bass, Tone Foundation Rhythm used in R2R exercises to give participants more rhythmic options.
Practice rhythms that promote dexterity and progression.
There is a lot of evidence on the therapeutic value of singing and using our voice musically - it is cathartic, can reduce stress, is a bonding experience and releases endorphins that lift mood.
But for many people it is very confronting, exposing them to potential ridicule, and the energy fades significantly compared to when we are drumming. Here is one technique we use to get people comfortable with using their voice - make up your own 'call & response' phrases and always have a laugh!
Run through the different Heartbeat rhythms - anchoring each with a steady BB
Then at the end give everyone a choice to play whatever one they want as long as they connect through the BB
Layer them in one at a time.
Just focusing on moving between high intensity drumming (arousal) and soft slow drumming (calm)
Sometimes adding a lyric can help reinforce the rhythm and get a message across as well. Try "Let's Play Along, Together we are Strong", "Welcome everybody, as we play to the beat"
(Connect the syllables to the beats)
Empowering participants by getting them to lead with their own rhythms.
Stopping the Group – A horizontal slice of the air (stop cut) with the extended arm/s and hand/s (stop cuts can be made with one or two hands) moving across the front of the body in a clear cutting motion on time with the beat (usually on the first note of the bar).
Sometimes adding a lyric can reinforce the beat and a message - for part 1 add:
"Bass, Tone, Grounding Zone" or "Bass, Tone, Safe Zone" - connect the syllables to the beats.
Sometimes a lyric can reinforce a rhythm and a message at the same time. Try this for Part 1:
"Know your Bass, Know Your Place"
Align the syllables to the beats
Teaching the group how to count down to 'STOP' using the Bass note as a reference.
Getting started with drum technique
Divide the group in two and have one half play a foundation rhythm while you lead the other half in call and response. Give some of your participants a chance to also lead this exercise.
A selection of interacting simple parts for the hand drum.
Sometimes adding a lyric can help:
"There is a place for me - When I'm in Harmony"
(One syllable per beat)
Gaining independence of the two hands using a combination of drumming and hand movement.
You can find these soft-toys in the 'pet section' of most supermarkets.
They are a wonderful way to lighten the mood and reduce resistance.