Quest for the Rhytm Master: Team Competition

Setup

Divide your class into an even number of teams. Each team must have at least 4 members up to 12, with 8 being the best team size. Also, try not to go over 8 teams if you can. You want to try to have an equal number of strong and weak counters on each team to make it as competitively even as possible. Teams can be chosen by section, Brass and Percussion vs. Woodwinds, or just mixed up at random. Creative or "catchy" team names can be selected or chosen to make the competitive atmosphere more fun. There must be some system of keeping a steady pulse throughout the competition. A "Dr. Beat", metronome, or perhaps a reliable percussion student clicking sticks, or hitting a cowbell or woodblock will do. One of the goals of "Quest" is to evaluate the skill of following a steady beat, and maintaining tempo.

In each rhythm group (or chapter) in your book there are three exercises. The director will select the range of rhythm groups to be used in the competition and the appropriate tempos to be used. Normally do exercise #1 as a full group example. Place your teams in a circle, if you can, or by rows. As the pulse is given, each team will play one measure of that exercise, followed by the next adjacent team. All students should play each measure on the same selected concert pitch. Depending upon the number of teams you have, you may need to go back to the first few teams until all eight measures are played. An example might be as follows:

After the example exercise is played by the full group, the director may correct any specific rhythms played incorrectly. Have a stop watch, or some devise to keep time and give the teams 2 to 3 minutes to practice as group #2 & 3 of that same Rhythm Group for "team competition". So things do not get to hectic, and so everyone can practice with the pulse source, you might instruct your team leaders to put their teams in random order and practice saying the counting out loud as they go from one measure and student to the next. After going through each exercise once your team leader or the stronger counters in the group can work with the weaker ones on any rhythms missed or not understood. Then, move on to the next exercise. It is really pleasing to watch the intensity of concentration the students exhibit using this basic cooperative learning technique.

Play

Each team takes its turn sending up to eight players to the front of the class. The students will bring their books up to four pre-set stands. If a team has more than eight members, they will not be able to participate in that turn, but be sure they are the first to be selected in the following turn. After the students are up front, the director will mix the students in a random order, assigning them which stand to be on, and in what order. In this way, the teams cannot practice in one specific order during the practice time, and each member of the team will equally be responsible for the knowledge of all rhythms in that Rhythm Group. The director will then decide whether all teams will compete on #2 or 3 of that Rhythm Group, and whether they will start from the left or right side. Assign each student his or her measure(s) to play in sequential order, A,B,C,D, etc... Establish a moderate pulse tempo, and then the director will count the exercise off. Just as in the example when the full team played, each student now takes their turn playing his or her designated measure on the concert pitch assigned. After the first team has performed, they sit down and the second comes up to play the same exercise number in like fashion.

How To Score

With 8 bars (for the most part) per line, each measure is worth 5 pts. (40 pts. Total). The director should have a Xeroxed copy of the pages to be used for each competing team. As each team performs, the director will circle any missed rhythms on either count one or two. Two points will be deducted for each count played incorrectly, up to 4 pts. per measure. Also, if a student hesitates, or does not come in precisely on the downbeat, the director will circle that bar line, and one point will then be deducted. If a student does not come in at all on his/her turn, deduct 4 points, but stress that it the responsibility of the next student in line to continue to count and come in precisely on his or her assigned downbeat.

After each team competes, quickly calculate the number of points lost (your circles) and subtract that from 40pts. At the end of each round, give 2 team points for the two top scoring teams, and 1 team point for the 3rd & 4th place teams. In the case of any ties, issue the similar team points, so it is possible for more than two teams to earn 1 or 2 team points per round.

If one or more of the teams is just "heads" above the others, you can handicap them to try to maintain a competitive atmosphere. For example, rather than deducting your circled points from 40, you could deduct it from 38, or 35 etc... In other words, they have a handicap of 2, 4 , or 6 points per round. Have a chart, or use the board, where team points per Rhythm Group can be kept track of, and handicaps (if used) can also be listed. Normally, for the team competition part of "Quest For The Rhythm Master", about 4 Rhythm Groups is a good number to use. When you begin the individual competition, move on and start on the next Rhythm Group. In this way you are reviewing a wider range of rhythms with your class.