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lessons in listening I Wish 'I Got Rhythm' By Pamela Turkowski "I've got rhythm. I've got music. I've got my gal, who could ask for anything more? - Ira Gershwin O ver the years, I have encountered many musicians and music educators who have expressed concerns regarding rhythm. The general themes of these concerns include keeping a steady tempo, problems with subdividing, unusual or mixed meters, and the groove. There is a misguided belief that people are born with or without a sense of rhythm. While rhythm aptitude varies among individuals, everyone is born with rhythm. Take a moment to think about how you learned rhythm. Many young musicians relied on a conductor to give a steady beat. Perhaps you recall phrases such as "Tap your foot." "Watch me." "You're rushing." "You are behind the beat." "A dotted-quarter note is the same as three eighth notes." Unfortunately, these phrases do not effectively teach rhythm. Rhythm is a fundamental element of music; however, musicians receive mixed messages about rhythm from very early in their training. What does it mean to have good rhythm? How can you improve your rhythm despite years of mixed messages? You use a metronome; what else can you do? Rhythm and rhythm pedagogy is a very complex topic and does take practice to master. However, this article will discuss how to improve your rhythm through movement, understanding different parts of the beat, naming rhythms, and reading rhythms. Included in this article are simple exercises, based on Gordon's Music Learning Theory, you can incorporate into your practicing to improve your sense of rhythm. All of these techniques can also be adapted for students of any level. I simplify many of these techniques and use them in my elementary instrumental music classroom. dance have more complex rhythms in their music. My mother-in-law described herself as "rhythm-deaf " and did not understand how to clap along to a song. A few years ago, she began taking dance lessons and a new world of rhythm has opened up to her. The following are simple movements to improve rhythm: 1. Listen to a song with a steady beat. 2. Stand up and move your legs to the macrobeat by swaying side to side or stepping to the beat. The macrobeat is any strong beat you hear and feel. The point is to move the largest, heaviest muscles in your body, as they are better at keeping a steady tempo than the smaller muscles required to tap your foot. 3. Tap your hands against your lap on all microbeats. These can be described as the small beats between the macrobeats and are usually in groups of two or three. At this point, be aware of how the music feels and do not worry about what it might look like in notation. 4. Continue listening and switch the macrobeats and microbeats to a larger, slower beat or a smaller, faster beat. You should notice a subtle change in the feel of the song. Follow the same steps while playing your instrument. If your instrument requires you to sit, then put the macrobeat in your heels instead of tapping your foot. You may have to eliminate moving to the microbeats but try to remain aware of them. Play a song you know without notation. Remain aware of your beats and then alter them. As before, make the beats larger and slower. Then change the meter from duple to triple meter. Once you get use to feeling the rhythm, try a song in an unusual meter such as five or seven. You may want to listen to "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck or "We Come from the Mountain" by Harry Belefonte and try to move to the beat. Both songs are in five and follow a three-plustwo grouping. It is also important to recognize that the microbeat is steady, but the macrobeat is uneven. Movement The most basic component to understanding and improving your rhythm is movement. Think of people with good rhythm and you will probably find good dancers. Cultures who value chorus of Leonard Bernstein's "America." Again, Another example of this occurs in the the microbeat stays the same tempo but changes from triple to duple. The macrobeat is uneven and changes from groups of two to groups of three. Then, try to audiate or sing the melody without the recording present. The more songs you learn to sing and play in unusual meters, the easier they will become. Naming Rhythm After you have a chance to experience different beats, you have to name them. Naming beats and rhythms gives the brain a way to file and retrieve this information. Find a rhythm system that works for you. Many musicians are familiar with the counting system that works well in duple time signatures such as 4/4 or 2/4. The macrobeats are numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) and the microbeats are and's". Further divisions are usually 1e+a. This system covers many rhythm patterns and could get you through a very large portion of classical orchestral music and high school band repertoire. However, this system begins to break down in triple and any other unusual meter. 6/8 is sometimes counted as 1,2,3,4,5,6 or 1+a, 2+a, but I have not heard any solutions for 16th notes in 6/8 without the rhythm being demonstrated or, even worse, explained. Also, the counting system is strictly based on notation instead of feel and sound. I recommend the Gordon rhythm syllables or a system that focuses on beat function instead of notation. Here are the basics. Macrobeats are always "Du" (pronounced doo). In duple meter, the microbeats are Du, de and divisions are Du, ta, de, ta. In triple meter, macrobeats remain Du and microbeats are Du, da, di. Divisions are Du, ta, da, ta, di, ta. When written well, time signatures imply which notes are macrobeats. However, there is an element of subjectivity depending on where you feel the beat. Regardless of which system you choose, naming rhythms allows the brain to categorize different patterns and file them with similar patterns. More importantly, this allows the brain to recall rhythms learned. As rhythms become familiar, the rhythm system will not be necessary. You may already notice that you do not need to "count" rhythms that are familiar to you. You can usually play them on sight with little effort. With practice, even more complex rhythms can become this easy. Start by practicing new rhythms by ear RHYTHM continued on page 20 sai-national.org FALL 2011 PAN PIPES 19

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