booklet - music for...

Music for Percussion

CLANCY CATHOLIC COLLEGECREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS FACULTY

1

Year

7 M

usi

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Graphic NotationWhilst most music is learnt aurally, that is by ear, we can also write music down. Consider the following charts which combine notes (sounds) and rests (silences) of different lengths.

A B C

D E F

Aural QuizIn your book, write down the order in which each chart above is played.

RhythmMusic can be made up of long and short notes (sounds) as well as rests (silences). Together the notes and rests of varying length create rhythms.

Aural ActivityCan you find other people in the class whose first name has the same rhythm as your own?

1. Write down their names in your book.2. As a group, come up with your own graphic notation like those notated above

showing the long and short notes which make up your names

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _____ _____ _____ xx xx xx

_____ x _____x _____ ____ __ _ . . . . . ..

Beat

The beat is the underlying pulse in music. Above the beat, sits the rhythm. The tempo of music describes the speed of the music, that is, the speed of the beat i.e. fast, moderato, slow, allegro, vivace

Aural Quiz

Write down the tempo of each of the following pieces using the Italian tempo words

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Beat Subdivision

As you know, the beat is the rhythmic pulse in music. It acts like a heartbeat. Above the beat, rhythms can be played. A rhythm is a combination of long and short notes and rests.

Copy the table below into your workbook and complete.

NOTE NAME NOTE REST VALUEFRENCH TIME

NAME

Semibreve x Ta-a-a-a

Dotted Minim x Ta-a-a

Minim x Ta-a

Crotchet x Ta

Quaver Tate

Semiquaver Tafetefi

Crotchets and Quavers

Aural QuizWrite down the order in which the following rhythms are played for you by your teacher.

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Composition ActivityDraw up the table below in your booklets. Then, compose and notate your own 4 beat pattern below using crotchets and quavers. Write the French Time Names below each note.

Clancy RhythmsEach of the following words and phrases use crotchets and quavers in their rhythms: Clancy, Cardinal, West Hoxton, Year Seven

1. Write the words in your workbook, dividing each of the syllables e.g. Clan-cy

2. Notate the rhythm above each of word or phrase. Remember, you will need one note per syllable.

Crotchet Rest

Aural QuizWrite down the order in which the following rhythms are played for you by your teacher.

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BEAT: 1 2 3 4

Minims

Aural Quiz 1Write down the order in which the following rhythms are played for you by your teacher.

Aural Quiz 2Write down the order in which the following rhythms are played for you by your teacher.

Composition ActivityCompose and notate you an original 8 beat rhythm below using minims, crotchets, crotchet rests and quavers. Write the French Time Names below each note.

Remember:

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BEAT: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers

First Movement: In the Kitchen

Describe the tone colour of this piece by listing as

many sound sources as you can.

Second Movement: In the Bedroom

This movement has a very different feel to

the previous movement. This is due to the

way the different concepts have been used.

Describe the use of each of the following

concepts:

a) Duration (Tempo)

b) Dynamics

c) Texture

Third Movement: In the Bathroom

Structure outlines the major sections of a

piece. This movement is divided into three

sections: A, B, A

Describe how the texture differs in each of

these sections.

Fourth Movement: In the Living Room

How does the excerpt make you feel?

What is something about the excerpt that you

particularly like? What do you not like about the

excerpt?

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Composition Activity1.Before starting your composition, you will need to investigate the instrument you have been given. Complete the table below to help you with this:

NAME OF INSTRUMENT AND IMAGE DIFFERENT WAYS TO PLAY THE INSTRUMENT

2. Circle 2 of the ways listed above which you feel are the most effective methods for playing your instrument.

3. Form a group of 4 students. Each student should have a different percussion instrument

4. In your group, create a 30 second – 1 minute composition which displays the range of sounds that can be produced by the different instruments. Your composition should include: A clear structure. That is, a beginning, a middle and an end

A variety of tone colours. Each instrument should be played using at least

one method explored above.

A chance for every instrument to feature

A variety of dynamics and textures

Evaluation – Mrs Potter’s Questions

1. What were you expected to do?

2. What did you do well?

3. If you could do the task again, what would you do differently?

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Some rhythms to perform

Perform the following rhythms on different non-melodic percussion instruments.

Why is it harder to play semibreves or minims on claves than on a tambourine?

Aural Quiz10 non-melodic (untuned) percussion instruments will be played for you. List each of the instruments you hear in your workbook.

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Moving AirNigel Westlake

Synergy is Australia’s leading percussion ensemble (group). In “Moving Air” by Australian composer Nigel Westlake, the four percussionists play a variety of non-melodic percussion instruments with other pre-recorded sounds.

1. Describe the tone colour of the piece by listing as many different percussion

instruments as you can.

2. Why do you think this piece is called “Moving Air”?

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Ostinato

An ostinato is a repeated rhythmic pattern.

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Time Signatures

A barline divides a rhythm into bars of equal length. The length of a bar, that is, how many beats appear in each bar, is determined by the time signature which appears at the start of the rhythm.

The top number of the time signature tells us .

The bottom number of the time signature tells us .

To determine the value of the beat, we look at the bottom number. The value of the beat in simple time is related to the semibreve.

If the value of the beat is a minim, the bottom number is 2.

(2 x minim = 1 x semibreve)

If the value of the beat is a crotchet, the bottom number

is .

( x crotchet = 1 x semibreve)

If the value of the beat is a quaver, the bottom number

is .

( x quaver = 1 x semibreve)

Conducting PatternsA conductor tells musicians many different things. They might tell a musician when to start and stop playing, as well as dynamics. A conductor also always keeps the beat, mapping out the time signature with their right hand.

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Performance Activity

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Performance Activity

Aural Quiz1.Determine the time signature for each of the following rhythms2.Write the order in which each of the following rhythms is played for you.

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Different Time Signatures

Divide the following rhythm into bars according to the time signature.

You will notice that each rhythm is the same, however, the way that the beats have been grouped into bars is different. How can we hear the difference between them?

Accents

When listening to music, you can determine what the time signature is by listening to the natural accents of the music.

Accent means emphasis or stress. It can be achieved by playing one note or chord louder than the others, or by increasing its duration slightly.

In 2/4 the accent falls on the first beat of the bar:

In 3/4 the accent falls on the first beat of the bar:

In 4/4, there are 2 accents: one on the first beat of the bar, and one on the third beat of the bar. Here the accent on the third beat of the bar is weaker than the

accent on the first beat of the bar.

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How to work out the Time Signature when Listening to Music

1. Tap or clap along to the music. This will tell you the beat of the music.

2. Now try to count while you are still clapping. Most pieces in western music are in 4/4 so try counting in 4. If this doesn’t work try 3 or 5.

Aural QuizWork out the time signature of each of the pieces played for you.

Theory Worksheet

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