The Elemental Style

The models presented in Orff and Keetman's Music for Children volumes are the basis for this essential resource for teachers of the elemental style. This book guides the reader from the foundational concepts of basic rhythmic cells and elemental forms to the construction of melodies and static accompaniments in the pentatonic and diatonic modes. Additional resources include a glossary of frequently used compositional terminology for the elemental instrumentarium as well as practical and technical ranges of the various instruments.

Table of Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Foreward
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 - Rhythmic Cells and Elemental Form
• Examples of Basic Elemental Form
• aba
• abab
• aaba
• aabb
• abba
• abca
• abac
• aabc
• Chapter 2 - Do Pentatonic
• Preparing the Full Pentatonic: Two and Three-Note Melodies
• Do Pentatonic
• Accompaniments in C-Do Pentatonic
• The Simple Drone
• The Simple Drone and the Full Do-Pentatonic Pitch Set
• Accented Re
• The Single-Moving Do
• The Double-Moving Do
• The Pedal Point
• The Rhythmic (Unpitched) and Melodic Ostinato
• The Double-Moving Drone as Layered Melodic Ostinati
• The Color Part
• Chapter 3 - The Pentatonic Modes
• Establishing the Tonic
• La Pentatonic
• La Pentatonic in Transposed Form
• The Remaining Pentatonic Modes
• Re Pentatonic
• Sol Pentatonic
• Mi Pentatonic
• Chapter 4 - Major Hexatonic and Ionian Mode
• Moving Toward Ionian: Major Hexatonic (Hexachordal)
• Ionian
• Creating an Ionian Melody
• Accompaniments in Ionian
• Single-Moving Drone
• Melodic Ostinato
• Double-Moving Drone
• Chapter 5 - Minor Hexatonic and Aeolian Mode
• Moving Toward Aeolian: Minor Hexatonic (Hexachordal)
• Aeolian
• Accompaniments in Aeolian
• Aeolian Melodies with Simple and Single-Moving Drones
• Double-Moving Drones in Aeolian
• Chapter 6 - Dorian and Phrygian Modes
• Dorian
• Phrygian
• Chapter 7 - Lydian and Mixolydian Modes
• Lydian
• Lydian Examples in Paralipomena
• Mixolydian
• Mixolydian Examples in Paralipomena
• Looking Forward: Part 2
• Appendix A - Glossary
• Appendix B - Score Order, Instrumental Ranges, and Transpositions
• Appendix C - Diatonic Modes and Tetrachords
• References
• About the Authors