Week 6

Today's class is based on RHYTHM !
One big way RHYTHM manifests itself in us is BODY MOVEMENT : Anything from swaying, bobbing your head, tapping your foot, Running, to full on dancing !
For everything you listen to today (you may already do this) tap your foot / pencil or bob your head along to the song!
Keep and Eye our for Activity #1, Activity #2 , and Activity #3 Please used the worksheet template found on Canvas Assignment Week 6 !

Listening Supplement :

3 Examples below : Listen to these before you do the class, and then after you complete the materials and assignments. Think about their use of rhythm (you will know more about this on the second listen after completion !) . Take note of any thoughts / observations you had on the second listen - is there anything you can take from the piece after gaining some knowledge on rhythm ?

Intro to Rhythm

Compare these 2 videos ..... Same song, just one difference.

What we have here is a change in instrumentation - Specifically, the addition of drums to the video on the right

Now listen again, but tap your foot along with the speed of the music - do this for both videos

It is important to note that we can tap our foot / bob our heads / dance / move to the original version without drums, just like we can to the new version with the added drums

THIS IS BECAUSE RHYTHM IS PRESENT IN BOTH VERSIONS , IT'S JUST DISPLAYED DIFFERENTLY

It's important to remember when considering rhythm :
Rhythm is a part all music - we are concerned with observing the different ways in which it is expressed

Defining Rhythm

Dictionary Definition : a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound.
OR
Repetitive/Consistent Pattern In Time

.....
***Repetitive / Consistent implies that it is PREDICTABLE - I.E. you know/can FEEL when to tap you foot/bob your head before it actually happens!!****

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT :
THE WHOLE REASON WE CAN TAP OUR FOOT ALONG TO A BEAT / GROOVE / RHYTHM IS BECAUSE IT IS CONSISTENT AND REPETITIVE - I.E. WE CAN PREDICT WHERE THE NEXT BEAT IS GOING TO COME IN

Take this example to the right - push play and see if you can clap along with the beats...... try counting along " 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4" ....

after a short time of listening and getting used to the speed, you can start to predict that rhythm, or where the next beat is going to happen. You can count along exactly with the Beats

Now check out the video below and see if you can do the same thing with the 'high-hat' (shown here to the left).

See how even though there are a lot of other things going on , the high hat stays predictable and consistent? Actually all the drums he is hitting are like this to some degree

THE NAME OF THE GAME WITH RHYTHM IS REPETITION AND CONSISTENCY. PREDICTABILITY

Let's call the recording on the <<<<RIGHT consistent, predictable, and Repetitive.
Hearing it for even 2 seconds, you can start to predict what's coming next

Now compare to this on the >>>>Left - The opposite of predictable - Random /
unplanned . Try tapping your foot to this ?? There is nothing to 'grab' on to

WE DON'T ALWAYS REALIZE IT BUT PREDICTABILITY IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS HUMANS ARE NATURALLY PARTIAL TO = WE SEE CYCLES AND PREDICTABLE CONSISTENCIES ALL OVER OUR LIVES

Rhythm As a Concept...

This 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 - Consistent Pattern
Heartbeat.....
Breathing...
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

Consistent/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

EXERCISE

For the Following , try to clap along with the notes and see if you can predict where the next one is going to happen. (Don't think to hard , your brain will do it automatically)
Although rhythm is present in all of the examples, it is expressed a different way. Can you describe how ?
(listen a couple times if you need to just to internalize the time...)

Take note that even though we lost that clicking, you can still hear the repeated pattern of time

IMPORTANT TAKE AWAY : NO MATTER WHAT THE SONG IS , THERE IS ALWAYS RHYTHM ( YOU CAN TAP YOUR FOOT ) TO SOME DEGREE !

IT MAY CHANGE IS HOW 'OBVIOUS' IT IS PRESENTED, BUT IT IS ALWAYS THERE!

In Context.....

Activity #1: Where's the Rhythm?

Below are some examples of songs without really obvious / intense / rhythm
...
Exercise:

Try to tap your foot to the rhythm of each tune Can you do it ?
Try to think of What instrument you are listening to , and What that instrument playing to make you do that

Example 1:

Where's the Rhythm? : The rhythm here comes from the guitar - we can hear the repeated chords right away in the beginning to set the rhythm before the vocals come in. Check out this version below I made with the annoying snare drum to pound out the beat

Example 2:

Where's the Rhythm? : They rhythm here is in the piano - hear the constant hits on the notes that set a rhythm you can tap your foot to ? check out below where it's again outlined by the snare drum sound added in .

Where's the Rhythm ?

Remember : Is it Rhythmic = Can I tap my foot to it

Question : Is it possible for there to be music without rhythm ?

Challenge : Take 10 minutes and search around for a piece of music without rhythm . Post it in the Rhythm Forum If you find one. (not required... just see if you can !)

Activity #2: Intro to Rhythm

Below see the Howard Goodall Documentary
This will be very similar to the Melody video (part of the same documentary)
Follow to the Same model for an assignment: Keep track of the vocabulary throughout - try to get 15 terms with their definitions ( There are more than this....)

Check this video out for a distinction between
BEAT
&
RHYTHM

??In A Given Song, Which Instruments are Providing the Rhythm ??

Lets go back to our visualization of a band...

Lets Imagine the Roots are playing this OutKast tune.. Play below

Listen. Can you pick out all the aspects that are Rhythmic ?
(think about the important parts of our definition - Repetitive, Predictable , Consistent)

Drums pop out - here they are singled out of all the other instruments. Listen to the solo drums, then the entire song to see if you can pick it out.

Hear the repetition ? The same drums and cymbals are being hit at the same time, over and over. Very easy to tap your foot to ! But is that the only thing that repetitive ?

Check out the guitar part - Can't we tap our foot to this ? Isn't it a consistent pattern in time ? Doesn't that by definition mean this is rhythmic ? (INDEED much less complex than the drums, but still fits the definition ... )

There are actually a couple other instruments also repeating that same thing , but one is lower in range, and one higher ...

So now, we have drums repeating one thing ad nauseam, then the guitar, piano, and synthesizer repeating another thing on top of that ad nauseam . Remember these were all in the original !

Now the only thing left is this least repetitive thing played by the strings and bass - this is the hardest thing to tap your foot too, because it is the least repetitive !

SO - In a way - Almost all instruments in the band provide some aspect of rhythm

Is it Rhythmic = Can I tap my Foot to it

What is it about music that allows us to tap our foot to it ?
THE REPETITION AND PREDICTABILITY

Instruments that Provide Rhythm

First and Foremost : Like we have seen , going buy our dictionary defintion of rhythm that it is any strong regular repeated pattern of sound, technically any instrument can be rhythmic

Example: So in a band , The Drummer might be playing the rhythm most obviously , but it could also be in the repetitive strumming of the guitar, the pounding of chords on piano, and the consistent pattern the bass player is playing

THAT BEING SAID

The most common instrument we associate with rhythm today is the DRUM SET

This is actually a combination of both Cymbals and Drums

Because of this versatile combination - the Drum Set can be used in a number of Genres & Musical Settings

THE BEAT

"The Beat" is a term we use very often in a sort of off hand way. We should examine what we really mean by this. Some people are referring to the accompanying music (I.E. anything NOT the melody) and some people mean the "Groove" or style the drummer is playing in.

Hip Hop

Eminem

Rock

ACDC

Country

Dixie Chicks

Jazz

Michael Buble
Notice with this song, the intro is void of rhythm, then the band comes in and we can feel the repeated pattern

Percussion instruments NOT the Drumset

If we Look at these combinations of drums and cymbals, we can get an idea of how the drum set was invented.

The drum set is kind of a version of all of these drums in one place so one person can play them all (instead of an entire group of people playing 1 drum each )

Activity #3 : Listening Response

Below are 2 song examples. Can you make some observations of their uses of rhythm ? Can you compare how the rhythm is presented in each ? What type of instruments are used to create the rhythm in each ? Can you move your body to the music ? What kind of dance would one do to this song ? Is the rhythm Very obvious , or not so important to the piece ? Thoughts on WHY the artist chose to use rhythm in this way ? Did they have the use for the piece picked out when making that choice ?

Strive to get a page of thoughts down. You may have to listen multiple times !

Tears in Heaven

Don't Stop Believing