Darla Hanley's Music Room
Creative Teaching for Students of Today (& Tomorrow) PK-8
Today’s Teaching Strategy: Stick and Drum Relay
(Instrument Relay Game)
Upper Elementary (4-5)
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
This teaching strategy is all about playing specific rhythmic patterns on 2 instruments. It goes with a 2007 track by Cookin’ on 3 Burners called “Feel Good Inc.” because of its driving drums and repetition.
This track is available on multiple streaming audio platforms. (Like many of my teaching strategies, you should feel free to find other audio tracks to anchor the learning experience using music that works in your setting or new tracks to simply “mix it up.”)
Pedagogical Foundations
Assessment can be stressful for students (and adults). It’s completely natural to feel anxious or nervous whenever we know we are being tested, right? It’s also completely natural to want to do our best in these moments—and to sometimes be a bit overly critical of ourselves when we feel that we could have done better. This is why it’s essential for teachers to engage students—in multiple ways—to show what they know and can do. They need more than one try, on more than one day, in more than one learning modality… You get the idea.
So, how can we structure assessment in music class in multiple ways? Here’s a quick example.
Let’s say we are teaching Ta, Ta-di, Ta-ka-di-mi, and Rest:
Create or find a short piece that includes all of these note values/rest and ask students to play instruments as part of a game to demonstrate their ability to perform the example (e.g., play the piece and pass the instrument to the next person for that person to play (and repeat until everyone has a turn);
Have students select and arrange dance steps to perform a dance that incorporates Ta and Ta-di rhythms (e.g., Ta = March; Ta = Walk; Ta-di = Step Kick; Ta-di = Step Touch);
Ask students to fill-in-the-blank to finish a 4-bar composition using some or all of these note values/rest;
Invite students to perform a play-party game (like my DHMR “Buzz Tweedle” from a few posts ago) and change part of the game to include a “Ta-ka-di-mi” rhythm.
In each of these examples, students are using the rhythms they are learning—but approaching them differently —i.e., via an instrument passing game, dance, music composition activity or play-party. Additionally, in each of these examples we can assess (and document) several individual student’s command of the rhythms.
Informal and Formal Assessment
Informal assessment is formative. This means we are observing ongoing student development and progress as part of the learning experience. Here we should make note of any “aha!” moments that happen like when a student meets a learning target for the first time, or takes a solo with super impressive musicality or precision, for example. Otherwise, we are leading instruction and empowering students to develop skills and knowledge.
Formal assessment is summative. This is where we ask students to play, sing, move, compose, arrange, etc. after formative/ongoing instruction. It’s an opportunity for students to show and apply their current skills and knowledge. Note: Formal assessment IS “the test” but once again, students do not always need to know that part.
Today’s teaching strategy “Stick and Drum Relay” includes formal assessment. I hope you give it a try with your students! But first, let me remind you who I am:
Hi! I’m Darla, an experienced PK-12 music educator, college professor, and former Berklee College of Music Dean looking to connect with teachers, parents/caregivers, and others seeking to advance creative music making for today’s students—and their teachers. In Darla Hanley’s Music Room you will find teaching strategies, advice and teaching tips, playlists, and more.
Today we are going to play an instrument relay game!
What is a relay game? (A team game where each person performs a segment and then passes it off to the next player for them to perform a segment; a relay race in sports is where individual runners run around a track and pass a baton to the next runner on their team who is standing waiting for them to approach so they can run next)
ProTIP: Asking students to define a relay game before playing one informally reinforces the instructional format of today’s game—and reference to “passing a baton” makes a sports connection and is like “passing our instruments” (lol).
Ask students to clap the “Stick and Drum Rhythms” while speaking the chant.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Students will play the rhythmic patterns and pass their instrument on the last 2 beats when they speak “pass behind”.
ProTIP: Show the music notation or teach these patterns and the chant by rote; whichever works best in your setting.
Divide the class into teams (e.g., 5 rows of 4 students each).
ProTIP: Select 5 students to come to the front and stand in a line (shoulder-to-shoulder) facing the same direction. Call the names of 5 more students to stand in line behind the original 5 students, and repeat with 5 students at a time until all lines and rows are formed.
Formation
X X X X X
X X X X X
X X X X X
X X X X X
Please sit on the floor right where you are to play the game. We are going to play the “Stick and Drum” rhythms but there’s a twist! The players in the front will begin playing the rhythmic pattern on their rhythm sticks. Once they play the pattern, they will—pass the sticks over their shoulders—to the person behind them (NO looking (lol) who will play the pattern and pass the instrument in the same way to the person behind them, etc. Be ready to receive the instrument from the person in front of you and begin playing!
Distribute 5 pairs of rhythm sticks, play the recording of “Feel Good Inc.” and direct students to play the game. Continue until the instrument makes its way to the last row.
ProTIP: When they are ready for this information, ask students to look at the other students in their row and point out that instruments should be played AND passed at the same time in rows.
Collect the rhythm sticks, distribute hand drums, and repeat the game using this second instrument. This time you will pass the drum over your head to the person behind you. Be ready! Continue until everyone has a turn.
ProTIP: Some students may prefer performing the rhythmic patterns on rhythm sticks OR drums. Having them play 2 instruments enhances the game (adds interest) while giving the opportunity to demonstrate rhythms on an instrument that requires connecting two things together (sticks) to play AND tapping patterns with one hand (drum).
ProTIP: Someone may ask about how to “win” this relay. My response would be: This one is not a competition. Everyone who plays rhythms is a winner!
Materials/Set Up
5 Pairs of Rhythm Sticks
5 Hand Drums
Stick and Drum Rhythms
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
