Roving Duets
Music is language. Language is music. When we converse with each other through melody, we exercise our brain’s capacity to process the rhythm and melody of language.
Use this exercise to introduce yourself to the fundamentals of creating improvised music as part of a small group.
- Sit or stand in a circle.
- As a group, establish a simple pulse by stomping your feet, moving your bodies, or drumming on your thighs or chests.
- Turning to a neighbor, one singer or player begins the game by singing or playing a simple, repeated melody.
- As always, create your melody one tone at a time. Remember to synchronize your simple melody with the pulse.
- Once the first person has established a simple melody over the pulse, their neighbor can either imitate that melody, or add something new. Together, the two sing or play their new song together.
- When they feel ready, the next person in the circle joins the duet, by either imitating something they hear, or adding something new.
- Once that third person has joined the duet, the first person drops out, and the duet moves to these two participants.
- In this way, the duet roves around the circle.
This exercise provides everyone with practice at synchronizing with a beat, creating simple melodies, imitating other melodies, and adding new melodies to a piece of improvised music.