Rhythm
Webster: a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound.
OR
Easy Terms : Repetitive/Consistant Patterns In Time
Repetitive / Consistant implies that it is PREDICTABLE - I.E. you know/can FEEL when to tap you foot/bob your head before it actually happens!!
OR
Easy Terms : Repetitive/Consistant Patterns In Time
Repetitive / Consistant implies that it is PREDICTABLE - I.E. you know/can FEEL when to tap you foot/bob your head before it actually happens!!
- We can hear that there are Long and Short notes , not just one or the other
- We can see in the NOTATION that there are different types of notes
- We can Immediately FEEL the rhythm, and a steady beat , to the point where we can tap our foot / snap our fingers / bob our heads
- In popular music the rhythm is generally provided most obviously by a drum groove - most commonly played by drums, sometimes electronic drum set
Rhythm As a Concept...
This (like Harmony) is a term/concept we take from real life
Think of how many repeated patterns in time we have in our life:
Sleep Schedule.....
Eating/Dietary......
Work Schedule......
The SEASONS are on a repeated Pattern in Time
Physical Movements:
Running - Consistant Pattern
Heartbeat.....
Walking....
Chewing....
Talking....
Not only are these present in our life, but we see the theme of
Consistency and Familiarity because we generally
like the Rhythm ( repetitive patterns in time) at a
Consistant/Constant Speed
Heartbeat...
Walking...
Chewing ...
Talking...
and FURTHER, if there is a change or inconsistency in speed with these physical movements, that can represent a certain EMOTION
DRUMS / DRUM GROOVES
Instrumentation : Most commonly, The Rhythm is provided by Drums / Percussion
Drum Set Snare Drum Cymbals Latin Percussion
Drum Set Snare Drum Cymbals Latin Percussion
The Drums provide Rhythm By Playing a steady and consistent sequence of notes known as a Groove:
Sometimes today we refer to the groove as ' the beat ' - this however is incorrect usage of the word beat.
Drum Groove Examples
Hip Hop
You Got Me - Roots Hip Hop Groove (Funky Drummer) Drum Groove QuestLove
Jazz / Swing
Swing Groove Jazz Solo - Original Jazz Solo - Complex
Sometimes today we refer to the groove as ' the beat ' - this however is incorrect usage of the word beat.
Drum Groove Examples
Hip Hop
You Got Me - Roots Hip Hop Groove (Funky Drummer) Drum Groove QuestLove
Jazz / Swing
Swing Groove Jazz Solo - Original Jazz Solo - Complex
Characteristics of Rhythm:
Characteristics of Rhythm: Duration/Note Length, OBVIOUS -----Vs.----- OBSCURE
Rhythm is Delivered - I.E. how we hear it - in many different ways depending on Genre, Instrumentation, and Style etc.
Different Examples of Rhythm Delivery :
Drum Set in a Rock Band
A Synthesized Beat in a Modern EDM Song
Pulsing strings in a String Quartet (52:00)
beatboxing in an A Capella Ensemble
Rhythm is Delivered - I.E. how we hear it - in many different ways depending on Genre, Instrumentation, and Style etc.
Different Examples of Rhythm Delivery :
Drum Set in a Rock Band
A Synthesized Beat in a Modern EDM Song
Pulsing strings in a String Quartet (52:00)
beatboxing in an A Capella Ensemble
Notice how no matter what the style is, or what the instrumentation is made up of
we can always Feel the Rhythm Some-how
(feel the rhythm = can you move to it (tap your foot etc)
Questions:
In Which one of the examples was the Rhythm Most Obvious
Why?
In Which on of the Examples was the Rhythm Least Obvious?
Why?
No matter :
How Fast,
How Obvious,
What is providing it,
We Can Always feel it !!!
So, Given that it is Always There, we want to examine it's Characteristics
Delivery:
What is it being Provided By
How is it being Provided
RHYTHM SPECTRUMS
Obvious -------------------------VS-------------------------------Obscure
What sort of Characteristics Make rhythm more Obvious?
Simple -------------------------VS-------------------------------Complex
What sort of Characteristics might make a rhythm more complex?
How Fast,
How Obvious,
What is providing it,
We Can Always feel it !!!
So, Given that it is Always There, we want to examine it's Characteristics
Delivery:
What is it being Provided By
How is it being Provided
RHYTHM SPECTRUMS
Obvious -------------------------VS-------------------------------Obscure
What sort of Characteristics Make rhythm more Obvious?
Simple -------------------------VS-------------------------------Complex
What sort of Characteristics might make a rhythm more complex?
Styles of Delivery
Video #1
How does this apply to modern pop music: Try to apply some of those concepts to this modern pop song Questions About Rhythm in A Specific Song How Is the Rhythm being Implied? What is the rhythm being Implied/Provided by? Is it VERY obvious, or NOT VERY obvious? How is this effected by note length/duration? How could he imply differently? What sounds best |
Video #2
What if we were to add drums to that track? Questions About Rhythm in A Specific Song How Is the Rhythm being Implied? What is the rhythm being Implied/Provided by? Is it VERY obvious, or NOT VERY obvious? How is this effected by note length/duration? How could he imply differently? Optional: What sounds best? |
Video #3
Daphnis and Chloe -Beginning is void of any real obvious rhythm -Mostly Stagnant notes, or instruments playing long notes s -this creates that spacey feeling, we are waiting for something to ground us -Feel the CONTRAST when finally we get some more explicit rhythm at 0:40 in the strings -They use the lack of rhythm to build to a climax -by 2:30/3:00 we have a solid rhythm (i.e. can tap our foot) |
Video #4
Now Contrast that with this "Staccato Hora" -Immediately we have something to tap our foot to -makes us want to move much more -the rhythm is explicitly outlined in the music by shorter notes all over the orchestra MORE NOTES = MORE INFORMATION (In the case, Rhythmic Information) Depending on the note lengths that the different instruments are playing, we can alter how the rhythm is implied |
Rhythm Homework:
For the Song Combos: in which song do you think the rhythm is most explicit / obvious & why did you think that?
****Note*** A complete answer must have a decision as to which song was more explicit, AND the explanation. Was it a result of - Style? Instrumentation? Volume of the Rhythm Instrument? ETC Example: Combo: Video #3 VS. Video #4 (Above) I think the rhythm in Video 4 was more explicit because of instrumentation, specifically the addition of drums and a rock drum groove |
Combo 1 :
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean VS. Bob Dylan - Lay Lady Lay Combo 2. : Neil Young - The Needle and the Damage Done VS. ACDC Highway to Hell Combo 3 : Miles Davis - So What Vs. Daft Punk - Something about us |