rhythm:
Latin rhythmus, from Greek rhythmós; “to flow”
What is continuous fluid motion?
Continuous fluid motion involves moving the body in a smooth, uninterrupted way. The concept is rooted in dance and movement education, and music educator and researcher Edwin Gordon coined the phrase “continuous fluid motion” to help introduce the activity to the music-teaching realm. Continuous fluid motion (CFM) is an important activity for young musicians because it prepares them to move rhythmically (i.e. to a beat). It precedes formal rhythmic training, which is why my youngest beginners often go home with unconventional piano lesson assignments like “pretend to stir soup!” or “pretend to push something heavy across the room!”
Why incorporate continuous fluid motion?
Develops body awareness.
Helps children explore balance and directionality.
Is a basis for syncing the breath with movement, musical thinking, and singing (Westervelt).
Large purposeful movements prepare students for small purposeful movements.
It’s fun! Continuous fluid motion is a great off-the-bench piano lesson activity.
Continuous fluid motion is fundamental in internalizing pulse, meter, and rhythm. Rhythm moves through time, and movement exploration helps students “measure the amount of time in and between beats” (Valerio). One of my favorite things about implementing CFM is that students who have experienced this kind of purposeful-yet-free movement grow into comfortable and natural improvisers!
Laban Movements
Rudolf Laban (1879-1958) was a movement educator, choreographer, and dance theorist. He developed a method for describing and categorizing movements, which includes four basic efforts, or elements: space (the direction we move), weight (how strong or gentle we move), time (how quickly we move), and flow (how much tension our body has while moving). By combining space, weight, and time at different points on their spectrums (shown below), we can create a multitude of different movements.
Examples of continuous fluid motion
These are just a few examples of CFM that can be done easily at home while listening to music, singing, or chanting.
Pretend to push something heavy up a hill.
Pretend to swim through water. What about swimming through mud? Through jello? Can you dive down deep? Can you splash at the surface of the water?
Paint the room by flicking imaginary paint off your fingers. What if you painted the room with a different body part, like your nose? Can you imagine what you want the painting to look like, then create it with your movements?
Stir an imaginary pot of soup. As you add ingredients, does it get harder to stir?
Pick up an imaginary teacup, feather, brick, or other objects of varying weights.
Move as though you’re an elephant, a cat, a hummingbird, a snake, a cheetah, a hippo, a sloth, etc.
Students in the Piano Safari method especially love moving like each of the animals represented in rhythmic patterns (Leo Lion, Tall Giraffe, Charlie Chipmunk, etc.) before imitating the patterns themselves.
Pretend to be a flower growing.
Pretend to be a tree swaying in the wind.
Pretend to drive a car. Go fast, slow, or in-between. Is the road straight or curvy? Smooth or bumpy?
Once students get their feet wet with CFM activities, you’ll be amazed by the creativity they exercise and the intentionality they display when coming up with their own motions!
Sources:
Valerio, W. The gordon approach: Music learning theory. https://www.allianceamm.org/resources/gordon/
Westervelt, T. G. (2002). Beginning Continuous Fluid Motion in the Music Classroom. General Music Today, 15(3), 13-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/104837130201500305