CALL AND RESPONSE
Players: Two or more
Time: 5 minutes
Ability: All – depending on the complexity of the phrases used
Age: All – especially good for older students.
This is a bit more challenging as it not firstly develops aural skills (in being able to copy a phrase) and then improvising skills (in varying the phrase). But remember you can start simply and build up to Charlie Parker level complexity.
As the group leader play a passage and have another answer by copying the passage as close as they can.
– For beginners: Play a phrase just on one note with a rhythm. Always let them know the note you’re starting on.
– For more advanced: You can play an extended passage
Now play the passage again and see if they can vary one note of it.
Try two notes
Play the passage again and see if the other person can start off copying the first half of the phrase and then finish off with entirely different notes.
Respond with the second half of the phrase and then add in your own second half.
So now the student has options they can use with their ‘response’:
– They can play it exactly
– They can vary it with only a few notes
– They can take it to an entirely different place
Variations:
– Play the response note for note but with entirely different rhythms
– Try transposing the response up by one, two, three etc notes. See what different effects each interval has.
– If the call is in a major key, answer with the relevant minor key and visa versa
– Try playing a response in the dominant of the key (you play a C major scale call? Have them response with G major)
Erin Lancaster 