Music-making had been a natural playful activity for Orff right from his childhood. He cherished his childhood toys according to their grade of rhythmical serviceability.
At the piano, he discovered a wide spectrum of individual rhythmic and tonal activity and invention at an early stage.
He soon developed the need to record his inventions which he had created at the piano. A slate was utilised for this purpose; the music recorded here repeatedly fell victim to the eraser.