The use of body percussion as a source of sounds for rhythm games, improvisation games and composition projects has been a stable diet in many music classrooms in primary and secondary schools. It’s immediate, engaging, good fun and cheap! Any sound has musical potential so it is important to remember that body percussion sounds in and of themselves are no more or less valuable than any other sound one can make with a conventional instrument.

This is illustrated beautifully in the work of artists like Gerçek Dorman. In his latest video for the Roland Channel, he uses a range of body percussion sounds mapped across to his HPD-20. He connects this to a looper, in this case the RC-505, to produce this track:

So, remember to remind your students next time you are using body percussion sounds in the classroom that they feature extensively in the work of contemporary artists alongside more conventional instruments and are a powerfully expressive sound set in their own right.

Both the HPD-20 and RC-505 are available in our shop. Contact us direct for educational pricing.