Themed improvisations using handheld percussion instruments allow a group of seniors to participate in the rhythm band together despite any differences in skills. Band directors can allow each participant to choose an instrument, or can assign specific instruments or instrument groups to seniors according to their skills. Maracas, tambourines, shakers, jingle bells and rhythm sticks offer a familiar instrument for seniors to play, but band directors can also introduce the Brazilian caxixi, Latin cabasa, Dominican guiro or other percussion instruments. After instructing the group how to handle and play each instrument, the director can lead the group in improvising based on a theme such as the weather, a special event or the time of the day.
Music therapy research shows that an individual's or group's preferred music elicits the most significant response. Accompanying familiar or favorite songs encourages active participation from a senior group. While the director sings and plays a favorite song on the guitar, piano, autoharp or other instrument, the group can improvise a rhythmic accompaniment using handheld percussion instruments, hand drums or frame drums. In some groups, this activity may lead to group reminiscence and provide therapeutic value.
Movement activities to music encourage seniors to engage in light exercise. The director can lead the group in sitting, standing, and walking while they play. For example, during the traditional song "When the Saints Go Marching In" seniors can step from side to side in time with the music or march in a line while keeping time with shakers or maracas. Research shows that during these activities the rhythm of the music becomes internalized in the brain through a process called entrainment. Entrainment may help seniors experiencing difficulty with walking maintain a steady and even gait.
The freenote, a pitched percussion instrument played with a mallet, provides seniors in a rhythm band an opportunity to explore melody and rhythm together. The freenote only contains a pentatonic scale, or five notes to each octave, allowing individuals to play the instrument without ever striking a dissonant or wrong note. Individuals in the group can take turns playing a solo on the freenote while the rest of the group accompanies the soloist. This allows seniors the chance to stand out from the group and express themselves in a new way, while still retaining the musical support of the group.