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Monday, January 20, 2014

MAKING A RAIN STORM WITH BODY PERCUSSION...COOL!


How to Create a Body Percussion Rain Storm
Procedure:
Make the environment rich, including playing music and displaying art and theme pictures (rain).
01. Performers are directed to sit in a big circle.
02. Create the sound of a rain storm using the wooden floor.
03. Simulate how the wind often picks up before a storm by making circular motions on the floor to sound like wind.
04. Create the small drops of a rain shower using the fingertips striking the floor softly, then a little harder. 
     A leader shows everyone how long to have the wind build up, and when to start the raindrops. 
     The sounds should overlap.
05. The next sound is rain made with all the fingers on each hand hitting quickly together.
06. The last new sound is a hard rain made with the palm of each hand pounding very quickly.
07. The rest of the game is played in reverse order as the storm passes.

Variations can be added, such as a shower or two with wind in between before the heavy rain hits.
After mastering the basic steps close eyes and listen to how real it sounds.
The whole storm may then be performed in a dark room.


John Constable "Rainstorm Off the Coast at Brighton"

Another way to make the sounds of the storm:
01. Tap two fingers on the palm of your other hand.
02. Click fingers.
03. Clap hands on thighs.
04. Stamp feet.
05. Repeat in reverse order for storm passing.

These actions are performed in a circle starting with the leader going round the circle one by one. 
A new action is introduced when everyone is performing the first. 
The performers keep the previous action going until the new one reaches them round the circle.
The effect of the storm building and declining gradually makes the sounds very authentic.