The following lesson is preceded by:
Preliminary Lesson 1
Preliminary Lesson 2a
Preliminary Lesson 2b
Intervals
Preliminary Lesson 3
Preliminary Lesson 4a
Preliminary Lesson 4b
Preliminary Lesson 4c
Preliminary Lesson 4d
Preliminary Lesson 4e
Preliminary Lesson 5a
Preliminary Lesson 5b
Aim of the Lesson To give clear but simple ideas about the meaning of rhythm as the basis of music.
Preparation We assigned some homework at the end of Lesson 4e. The student was to create measures with different combinations for four pulse, three pulse, and two pulse measures. Review their measures asking questions as you go. For example, you can ask, how many different ways can we write a three pulse measure?
Method Let’s take a look at the below example and play this line through. It’s just not very pretty or creative or interesting.
What happens, though, if we choose two of the measures from the above exercise and played them alternately or with repetitions? Maybe something like this:
Let the child write out your suggestion, if they’d like, and play it. How does that sound contrast with the first line we played? This arrangement of the repeated measures makes a kind of pattern, which we call rhythm. Rhythm could be referred to as the skeleton of music. Can you figure out this piece I’m clapping just by my clapping? Without even hearing the melody, you could a shadow of the tune. The teacher could try clapping Jingle Bells or Mary Had a Little Lamb. You could also try a hymn you know the child is learning. Let’s further the above pattern and actually assign pitches to the rhythm:
Let the student follow the rhythm as you play the pitch sounds. Ask the child to observe the pattern. What does he see and hear? There’s movement and there is rest in the short tune. The child can now begin to understand how tunes or songs are made. Moving on, let’s review how many ways we can write a two pulse measure. At this point, we know the only combinations are two one pulse notes or one two pulse note. Even with such few options, we can write a very nice tune. Here’s an example.
This tune is from the Farm Scenes book. It’s #2. Let’s dictate a bit of the rhythm from this simple tune. Listen for when the notes are moving versus when the notes are resting. If you want to try a dictation in rhythm in three pulse measures, here’s an example you can use. After dictating the rhythm, look for patters and repetition.
Summary: 1. Rhythm is kind of a time-plan or pattern which we hear in music. 2. We can make rhythms by arranging groups of measures in different ways.
Invention of Rhythms Let’s work a bit on some new combinations. Let the student make the suggestions. Be sure, though, to make clear to him that two-pulse and three-pulse measures must not be used in the same exercise.
After the children create some groupings and write out the framework, let the teacher (if they can) add a simple melody to their rhythms. (If you are able as a teacher, add a harmonize with the melody.) Here are some examples of some measures we can use to make rhythmic groupings:
Here are some examples of rhythmic groupings:
“Some children are ambitious of ‘composing’ melodies as well as time-plans, and there is no reason why a musical child should not be allowed to try to turn his own time-plans into a tune if he wants to do it.” (page 76, 31st edition.)
She goes on to say, though, that unless the teacher is an instinctive musician or the child an above average musician, this task may be better left alone. The object of the above exercises is not to teach the beginnings of composition but to direct the student’s attention to the way rhythm is used in music. Rhythm is perhaps the element of music that is most easily grasped and the most mechanical. It is certainly the least elusive (or abstract) element of music.
Prepare for the examination to see if the child has fully grasped the concepts of the Preliminary Courses here: Preliminary Course Examination.