Make the most of your class percussion.......at Christmas!

With Christmas on the way, using class percussion to add that festive feel to songs and pieces of music can be the perfect final touch for a concert or show.

Here are 5 of our favourite items to bring your christmas repertoire to life this year!

Sleigh bells

An obvious first choice and the bell sounds are very familiar to students as they are a staple part of any Christmas song heard all around us at Christmas time!

Sleigh bells are great for primary children, being lighter in weight and slightly easier to store.

Wood block

In the context of Christmas music, the wood block can be used to accentuate certain beats, create interesting rhythmic patterns, or add a playful moment to suit the mood of the piece. With younger children, it can be a useful way to mark the beat and adds a nice timbral contrast when used alongside the hand drums.

Hand drums

Hand drums, such as djembes, bongos, congas, or tambours, offer an interesting variety of timbres compared to traditional drum kits and can add a global or folk flavour to your Christmas repertoire.

Mark Tree (sometimes incorrectly called Wind Chimes!)

As well as adding a truly magical sound to your performance, the mark tree is an endless source of fascination for primary children as they explore the creative potential of the sound!

Hand bells

Hand bells have a clear and distinctive sound that is easily recognisable. The bright tones of handbells can add a special and joyful quality to Christmas music, creating a sense of celebration and festivity. The colours make it easy to follow visual charts to play well known melodies and they are very accessible for classes of all ages!

Don't forget that chimes (or chime bars) and glockenspiels can also add a Christmassy feel to any performances you have planned for this season!