Orff Instruments

How Orff Instruments Can Transform Your Classroom

Gunild Keetman and Carl Orff devoted their lives to developing methods for involving young musicians in music. Thanks to their work, educators today have the Orff-Schulwerk approach to music education: a set of principles designed to engage children in the rewarding world of music discovery through fun, play, and fantasy.

Are you an educator or group leader who’s interested in incorporating Orff instruments into your next classroom activity? You’ve come to the right place. Discover why Sweetwater is the premier hub for students and pros to ignite their lifelong passion for music and arts.

What Are Orff Instruments?

Orff and Keetman discovered early on that children are natural percussionists with a knack for imitation. For this reason, many Orff instruments are percussion items — typically pitched percussion instruments, such as bells and xylophones.

Let’s take a look at what each instrument class has to offer your student or classroom:

Orff glockenspiels

Orff Glockenspiels (also known as bells) have several advantages over traditional glockenspiels for young learners. For starters, Orff bells are diatonic, with no black keys and removable bars to customize available notes. Additionally, Orff glockenspiels are limited in range — typically one to two octaves — and sit on compact resonator boxes. This makes them easy to cozy up next to in a classroom setting.

Orff xylophones

Orff xylophones boast a deeper and mellower timbre than Orff bells, which is useful for building layers in a classroom setting. As with Orff bells, Orff xylophones feature a single row of removable bars in a limited register mounted to a resonator box for compact portability. Unlike the bells, these xylophones feature larger wood keys and soft fabric mallets to produce warm bass tones and a controlled ensemble blend.

Orff metallophones

Think of Orff metallophones as travel-friendly vibraphones for your learning environment. Their removable keys, compact resonators, and pedal-free operation make these metallophones a great introduction to full-size mallet percussion instruments.

Orff resonator bars

A full row of bars may seem intimidating to first-time music-makers. But a single bar tuned to a specific key? Now, there’s an instrument everyone can enjoy playing. Orff resonator bars allow instructors to drill in rhythmic concepts without overwhelming students with a glut of tonal options.

Orff sets

Are you building your Orff percussion section from the ground up? Orff sets include customizable mallet percussion instruments for every player in a series. Whether it’s a family of Orff xylophones or a turnkey mallet percussion ensemble, Sweetwater has a bundle for you!

Orff Percussion Instrument FAQs

Is this your first time buying an Orff instrument for your child or classroom? Here are answers to common questions from other first-time Orff adherents.

Are Orff instruments just for kids?

No way! Although Keetman and Orff conceived the Orff-Schulwerk approach as a method for teaching children, most educators agree the Orff approach can be effective at any stage of music education. The same principles of fun and discovery can guide students of any age or developmental stage — whether they’re 5, 50, or 105!

What are the concepts of Orff?

Unlike other learning modalities (such as Suzuki Method or classical pedagogy), the Orff approach isn’t a curriculum; it’s a philosophy which aims to develop students into musicians by engaging their natural senses of curiosity and discovery.

In the Orff-Schulwerk, “all concepts are learned by doing.” Instructors use short activities to naturally build foundational concepts such as pitch, rhythm, tempo, mood, melody, and more. Activities can include singalongs, instrument recitals, dramas, games, and more.

What are the four stages of Orff?

The American Orff model divides classroom activities into four stages:

• Imitation — Stage one of the Orff approach has students imitate the group leader in a call-response of speech or music.
• Exploration — Stage two allows learners to get a feel for the instruments through experiential play.
• Literacy — Stage three is where students begin to pick up notation, learn song structures, and grasp music forms.
• Improvisation — Stage four invites students to create spontaneous music without preparation (improvise) to demonstrate mastery of the prior stages.

Is the recorder an Orff instrument?

In some circles, yes — the woodwind recorder instrument can be implemented into Orff activities once students have reached a certain age or proficiency level. The recorder requires a level of breath support and understanding of non-diatonic pitches that best suits advanced learners.

Ready to Outfit Your Orff Classroom? Start at Sweetwater

Getting the most out of your Orff classroom starts with having the right tools for the job. If you’re searching for a fresh set of Orff percussion instruments, start at Sweetwater. Our fast, free shipping and Total Confidence Coverage will give you peace of mind as you outfit your creative space.

Don’t know where to start? Contact Sweetwater’s classroom education experts at (800) 222-4700. Our instructors have firsthand experience furnishing Orff instruments for schools, nurseries, churches, and developmental facilities, and we’d be happy to help get your program off the ground with the tools to succeed.