Orff Schulwerk - Four Stages

Four Stages

In America there are four stages in the Orff Approach: imitation, exploration, improvisation, and composition. Through imitation, the teacher, group leader, or even the students perform for the class and the class in turn repeats what was played for them. Exploration allows students to seek out the musical aspects that the Orff instruments offer and explore aural/oral skills and the motions and expressions that the body is capable of. Literacy is taught by learning musical notation and becoming familiar with forms of music like rondo and ABA. Improvisation is the act of creating something, especially music, without prior preparation. To improvise, a student must have “a preliminary knowledge and comprehension of concepts.” Students of the Orff Approach learn to create their own melodies in a comfortable environment that allows for mistakes and promotes creativity.