Darla Hanley's Music Room
Creative Teaching for Students of Today (& Tomorrow) PK-8
Today’s Teaching Strategy: Buzz Tweedle
(Play-Party Game with a Punch!)
Elementary (3-5)
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
This teaching strategy is all about working with a partner. It goes with a 1957 track by The Hollywood Flames titled “Buzz, Buzz, Buzz” for its early rock ‘n roll style and perfect pairing with this game!
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
Body percussion games are the best. This pedagogical tool engages students to demonstrate rhythmic patterns, beat, tempo, and musical style…all informally as they play a movement game! Students are learning, demonstrating essential musical concepts, and addressing learning targets while experiencing the joys of music making and simply having fun being kids. (Sometimes the most impactful learning happens when we don’t realize it, right?)
The idea of play-party games, street-games, or clapping-games—whatever you want to call them—is universal. Children all over the world create and perform these types of games as they play together. They do this naturally and authentically on the playground, in the backyard… and in my childhood, in the living room (lol).
As music teachers, in my view, its the combination of movements/body percussion AND the music we choose that elevate a game. The movements need to flow, have some repetition, and be “doable/attainable—but challenging” for students. Too easy, and it’s boring! Too difficult, and they may lose interest or want to stop trying before they are able to perform the game. Additionally, the music must work hand-in-glove with the movements to support the rhythmic patterns and inspire students to play. I always look for tracks with strong rhythmic foundations and compelling grooves for play-party games!
In this teaching strategy I included the traditional “high-5 clap” combination PLUS a “punch” arm extension and 2 moves that are held to extend their duration (i.e., the 2-hands high-5 and the patsch at the end). To me, the contrast between fast and slow movements adds interest and ups the experience.
Okay, so what am I really talking about? Let’s do the Buzz Tweedle!
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 form partners and perform a play-party game called “Buzz Tweedle”. It goes with a song called “Buzz, Buzz, Buzz” by The Hollywood Flames.
Based on the name of the song, what do you think this song is about? (Bees)
ProTIP: Asking students to connect a song title with a message in song lyrics provides them with the opportunity to make musical predictions. If time allows, ask students to name song titles they know and discuss the lyrics.
Let’s listen to the song to see if we were correct in thinking the song is about bees! Play an excerpt of the recording and lead a brief discussion about the lyrics (e.g., Buzz, buzz, buzz goes the bumblebee).
Guide students to form partners and teach the “Buzz Tweedle Moves” (description below, and video provided to make it easy).
ProTIP: Use the “Buzz Tweedle Chant” below to anchor movements. Be sure to animate the “Hey!” and “Bzzz” at the end to invite students to be high energy and playful as they perform the game.
ProTIP: Practice the game without the recording several times—increasing the tempo as you go—to prepare students for performing the game with the track. This track cooks and will be fast for young students performing a play-party game unless they know it (lol)!
Play the recording and direct students when to begin the movements.
ProTIP: Begin movements at 0.2 following a quick saxophone intro OR at 0.18 when the vocals enter.
Video
Buzz Tweedle Moves
© 2025 Darla S. Hanley
R Hand High-5 to Partner’s R Hand, Clap
L Hand High-5 to Partner’s L Hand, Clap
R Hand High-5 to Partner’s R Hand, Clap
L Hand High-5 to Partner’s L Hand, Clap
R Arm Up! (Punching or Fist Pumping with Arm Fully Extended)
L Arm Up! (Punching or Fist Pumping with Arm Fully Extended)
Clap-Clap
Two Hands High 5 to Partner (and Hold)
Patsch (and Hold)
ProTIP: Refer to the “Up!” moves as a “Punch” OR call them a “High Fist Pump” if that works better in your teaching setting.