Rhythm
Scientific Characteristics Sound :
Frequency
-Note / Pitch / Rage (High and Low)
- Think of How a Melody Line goes up / down in range
-Different Frequencies in a band make up Harmony
Amplitude
-Volume (Loud and Quiet)
-Think of how Texture can impact amplitude / volume
Duration
-Note Length (Long and Short)
-Listening to any song we can hear that they are a combination of Long and Short notes
( i.e. we would never hear a song with just one long note...)
Rhythm
- 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
OR
Repetitive/Consistant Patterns In Time
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:
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Characteristics of Rhythm: Duration/Note Length, Explicit -----Vs.----- Implicit
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, instrumentation, 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 SPECTRUM
Explicit -------------------------VS-------------------------------Implicit
(Very Obvious ---------------------VS-----------------------------Not Obvious)
*********************Note*******************
We are adding to our list of describing aspects of music in terms of how they fall on a Spectrum of 2 extremes..
Examples:
Repetitive-------------vs.----------------Non-Repetitive
High----------------vs-----------------Low
ETC.
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 SPECTRUM
Explicit -------------------------VS-------------------------------Implicit
(Very Obvious ---------------------VS-----------------------------Not Obvious)
*********************Note*******************
We are adding to our list of describing aspects of music in terms of how they fall on a Spectrum of 2 extremes..
Examples:
Repetitive-------------vs.----------------Non-Repetitive
High----------------vs-----------------Low
ETC.
Styles of Delivery
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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? |
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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:
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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 |