| endless limitations music | ||
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rhythm and number | |
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Much of the music we listen to is in rhythms
made up of fours. A rhythm is often constant and seen as a stage other
instruments. Here, however, I would like to consider rhythm as central to
a piece of music, to be considered not in fours but in any combination of
numbers, nor should it be understood as consistent.
Consider for example a rhythm that is made up of increments: 1 1,2 1,2,3 1,2,3,4 Here a number of musicians might play the first beat, then the first and second and so on, with a strong emphasis on the first of every group. Groups might like to consider using other increments 2 2,4 2,4,6 2,4,6,8 Or a dice could be used - the first roll of the dice could decide number of increments, then the subsequent dice rolls decide which numbers are used, for example - the first roll is four - there are going to be four increments (so there will be four rolls) - 2, 3, 2 and 5 are thrown. The rhythm of the piece is thus: We begin at 2. What follows is 2,5 (adding the first roll 3 to the first 2) 2,5,7 (adding 2 to the 5) 2,5,7,12 (finally adding 5 to the 7). Therefore the sequence is: 2 2,5 2,5,7 2,5,7,12 Here instrumentation could be explored. A soloist could begin the first 2 beats, one instrument joining in at the beginning of each new cycle. The whole cycle could be 'mirrored' and the instrumentation removed until the original soloist is left: 2, 2,5 2,5,7 1,5,7,12 12,7,5,1 7,5,2 5,2 2. An able instrumentalist may like to try and compose a melody with this, but I imagine this to be outside what is normally possible given time restraints on sessions, etc. Groups could explore polygons as a means of scoring music. For example, consider an octagon. A We may decide to start at a certain point (A). The octagon could be used for an eight beat rhythm. Below I have added dots to show (arbitrarily) the stress of the beat. Note - there are deliberate silences Beginning at A and moving clockwise the instrumentalists use an agreed tempo to move them around the octagon. This can be developed in a huge number of ways - I will offer just some examples. - the octagon could be repeated a number of agreed times - there could be a number of octagons each with differing patterns. Each could be played a number of agreed times. - a variety of colours could be used as a key for different musicians - the spaces between dots could be subdivided to offer opportunities for developing more complex rhythms - words could be added - chants could be developed. - a combination of polygons could be used in sequence - images or notes in the centre of each polygon could indicate mood.
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