Catch Me If You Can
Music is like a great conversation in sound. We listen, respond, share ideas, challenge and inspire each other.
Use this form to expand on your ability to create simple melodies over a groove.
- Sit or stand in a circle with a group no smaller than two people, but no larger than four or five.
- One person begins the game by singing a simple melody. Remember to create your melody one tone at a time. Within your melody, make sure you establish a clear, simple-to-follow pulse.
- While the first player or singer is creating their initial melody, the other participants listen intently.
- Once the first person has established a simple groove and melody, they invite their neighbor to join them by either imitating what they hear or adding something new.
- Once everyone has joined the song, the first participant adds something new to their melody. Turning to their neighbor, they invite them to follow their changes by imitating something new they hear, or adding something else new.
- One at a time, each performer follows the changes as they move around the circle.
- In this way, your song develops and changes in new and exciting ways.
This exercise can lead to exciting improvisations that grow and change in strange and inspiring ways. It allows your improvised song to unfold like a great conversation between friends, while simultaneously exercising our ability to synchronize with a beat and hear and create simple melodies.