GETTING STARTED WITH TAKADIMI

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1 GETTING STARTED WITH TAKADIMI Kris VerSteegt For West Des Moines Schools January 20, 2014

2 LEARNING TARGET: I can speak basic patterns in Takadimi. *I will gladly answer questions on learning targets at the 10:30 break

3 LOTS of AURAL/ORAL PREPARATION! Copycat 1. Group echo 2. Individual echo Branle de Sabots Copy Machine The copy machine is an easy game I say a pattern you say it the same! Takadimi Toucan Known and new patterns Copycat 3. Student Leaders

4 CONNECTING SOUND TO SYMBOL Flashcards Rhythm Hop By syllable By nonsense syllable (or instrument) Takadimi Toucan lost his voice! Known and new patterns Writing and Creating

5 LEARNING TARGET: I can describe the history of Takadimi. *I will gladly answer questions on learning targets at the 10:30 break

6 FROM WHERE DID IT COME? First came to America around 1950 through Jazz musicians who were incorporating Indian traditional music into their own improvisatory style

7 FROM WHERE DID IT COME? Takadimi is the name for a subdivided pulse in traditional Indian music Indian traditional music is in no way metric and is learned almost exclusively through oral tradition

8 HOW DID THE PEDAGOGICAL SYSTEM DEVELOP? Developed by Richard Hoffman, William Pelto, and John W. White of Ithaca College in New York for classroom use Published as Takadimi: A Beat- Oriented System of Rhythm Pedagogy in the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy (1996, vol. 10)

9 HOW DID IT GAIN POPULARITY IN THE U.S.? Gained attention with these publications: MEJ, Nov vol. 93/2 MEJ, May 2007 vol. 93/5 Kodaly Today by Michael Houlahan and Philip Tacka (Oxford, 2008) Progressive Sight Singing by Carol Krueger (Oxford, 2010)

10 AND IN IOWA? Tom Sletto of Drake University wrote A Comparison of Rhythm Syllables and a Recommendation in the Kodaly Envoy, Spring 2011 vol. 11/3 Carol Krueger made appearances with ACDA and ICDA sharing her pattern drills and her book Progressive Sight Singing

11 DID WE HIT THE TARGET? When did Takadimi come to America? Is it a contrived system or does it have authentic origins? Have journal articles and books been written on this pedagogical system?

12 LEARNING TARGET: I can compare and contrast Takadimi with other systems.

13 HOW IS IT LIKE OTHER SYSTEMS? Like natural language acquisition, it is a sound before sight before theory system a progression of skills echoing connecting sounds with syllables connecting syllables with symbols reading symbols writing and creating with syllables and symbols theoretical understanding

14 What other systems are in use? There are too many to list, but there are several popular systems Kodály ta titi Froseth (a.k.a. Gordon) du dude Counting 1 2&

15 WHAT OTHER SYSTEMS ARE IN USE? Kodály s traditional Hungarian system This system closes the vowel with an m when there is a dot, rather than elongating the sound This system is durational and thus does not translate well to cut time Other problems develop in compound meter

16 WHAT OTHER SYSTEMS ARE IN USE?

17 ADAPTATIONS TO KODÁLY

18 ADAPTATIONS TO KODÁLY

19 ADAPTATIONS TO KODÁLY Some say ta-ah instead of too ta-ah-ah instead of toom ta-ah-ah-ah instead of toe Others say half-note, three-beat-note and whole-note-fillsup Still others say two-ooh for half note three-eeh-eeh for dotted half note four- our-our-our for whole note

20 WHAT OTHER SYSTEMS ARE IN USE?

21 WHAT OTHER SYSTEMS ARE IN USE?

22 WHAT OTHER SYSTEMS ARE IN USE? Counting Counting really does work very well EXCEPT that borrowed rhythms (like triplets in simple time) typically use the same syllables as other simple divisions and subdivisions Some have adapted to 1-la-li, 2-la-li to overcome this

23 WHAT OTHER SYSTEMS ARE IN USE?

24 WITH SO MANY ADAPTATIONS Everyone is doing their own thing For the right reasons But, the children never learn to speak the syllables like a language Children often learn at least 2 systems, sometimes many more that s how we clap it in band! Imagine if we could find something that worked for EVERYONE and didn t need adapted

25 HOW IS TAKADIMI DIFFERENT?

26 WHY IS IT BETTER? It works easily in cut time, simple and compound meters, asymmetrical meters and mixed meter It is authentic (Kodály)

27 WHY IS IT BETTER? Its sound before sight before theory approach takes children seamlessly from known to unknown (Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi)

28 WHY IS IT BETTER? It is easy to borrow compound rhythms into simple meter (and vice versa) as they share no common syllables other than ta and di

29 WHY IS IT BETTER? Ta is ALWAYS on the ictus of the beat You aren t asking kids to do theory when they are decoding The right words just fall out! Great Big House

30 WHY IS IT BETTER? It is simple enough for elementary and yet complex enough for secondary and beyond This system grows with the child: It is logical when children are concrete operational and can get ever more abstract as the children move into the formal operational stage (Piaget)

31 WAIT! But real musicians count! Takadimi makes transitioning to counting in high school VERY EASY (but this should be delayed until the students can sing/speak, move, create, read, and decode with the system (as counting is theoretical)) You can help! Count your kids in sometimes 1 & 2 & breathe (breath) Ask your kids on which beat is the ta dimi? Etc.

32 LEARNING TARGET: I know how to get started with Takadimi.

33 HOW DO I GET STARTED? Change immediately upon returning from a break Don t start tomorrow Start by just having the kids say the syllables and play games with the syllables

34 HOW DO I GET STARTED? Then have kids translate known songs and rhymes into the syllables Do this for many lessons for older kids, longer for youngers kids A puppet is useful when beginning, but should be taken away when no longer needed Icka Backa (dipping game) Frére Jacques (round) NOTE: Songs are easier to decode than poems But they need to do BOTH

35 HOW DO I GET STARTED? When 80% of your kids can translate accurately, they are ready to try unknown materials Come, butter, come Come, butter, come Peter s waiting at the gate Waiting for some buttered cake Come, butter, come Again, poems are harder EXPRESSIVE SPEECH really helps!

36 HOW DO I GET STARTED? When 80% of kids can translate UNKNOWN material into Takadimi, you know they are ready to SEE notation Use the time signature and bar lines all the time Each time they see notation, have them begin by echoing and end with reading Demonstration flashcards

37 HOW DO I GET STARTED? Play lots of games with reading Black Snake

39 HOW DO I GET STARTED? Play lots of games with reading Turkey Poker Are You Smarter than the Music Teacher?

40 HOW DO I GET STARTED?

41 HOW DO I GET STARTED? Don t forget to write!

42 HOW DO I GET STARTED? Don t forget to write!

43 HOW DO I GET STARTED? Don t forget to write! Jungle Rhythms is a strategy taken from Conversational Solfege by John Feierabend, a curriculum for grades 2 and up.

44 HOW DO I GET STARTED? Don t forget to write!

45 WHAT ABOUT MY OLDER KIDS?

47 WHAT COMMON PITFALLS SHOULD I AVOID? Spend PLENTY of time working aurally/orally with the rhythms before presenting an associated symbol ALL students should be able to accurately translate into Takadimi speech, poems, and songs they have never before heard before they are shown the syllables they are speaking Cobbler, Cobbler

48 WHAT COMMON PITFALLS SHOULD I AVOID? Never label isolated symbols with written words like ta tadi In cut time and compound time, the beat note looks different but still sounds ta Introducing compound early can help kids realize that ta is the BEAT not the PICTURE If you feel you must label, make sure you are also showing the time signature and bar lines making your labels true

49 COMMON PITFALLS Delay cut time until much later (at least age 12) If you sang Pick a Bale of Cotton in Takadimi Yet, this is how this song usually appears in choral octavos (above) Confusing for concrete operational children (ages 7-11) Some teachers have their kids sing cut time as if NOT cut time to avoid the problem This is a bad idea Then ta is no longer just beat but also the division di is no longer the division, but the subdivision, etc.

50 WHAT COMMON PITFALLS SHOULD I AVOID? Find the sweet spot in the tempo! Children can t say as much as you can, at least not a first M.M for simple meter, divided beat, slower when subdivided M.M for compound Be careful! Going too slow will change the ta = ictus of beat connection

51 DON T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES I DID Change everything at once. Trying to keep some things (like syncopa) while changing everything else will make conversing in ta language impossible and rob them of the ta=ictus of beat connection There is nothing wrong with teaching grammar (theory), just don t teach it until the kids can read!

52 DON T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES I DID

53 WHAT CURRICULAR MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE? Conversational Solfege by John Feierabend uses beat-function syllables and a sequence that delays dotted rhythms and syncopation Take a class with John! Conversational Solfege also teaches elements of compound meter early in the sequence, which is consistent with American Folk Music* John uses Gordon/Froseth you could easily use Takadimi *I will happily speak on the topic of starting compound early (in 2 nd grade) during the break.

54 WHAT CURRICULAR MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE? Progressive Sight Singing by Carol Krueger is filled with patterns and drills appropriate for older beginners through college level This book is not repertoire based, it is pattern based Makes a great addition for ensembles looking to develop rhythm reading skills (and solmization skills) She adds what she calls patschen but looks like Tempo must be significantly slowed (ta=ictus?) theory

55 IS IT PERFECT? There are no syllables beyond sixteenth notes A few consonants are troublesome for wind Taka works for double-tonguing on some instruments mi (subdivided in simple) va (subdivided in compound) Takida sounds a lot like takadi and is easy to confuse when speaking/singing at too brisk of a tempo

56 LIVE FROM MY SOAPBOX Elementary General Music Teachers serve 100% of the population Nationwide, about 20% of high school students are in band, choir, or orchestra 1.4% of the U.S. Workforce is made up of professional musicians and singers (BLS)

57 LIVE FROM MY SOAPBOX Music is an AURAL art Understanding the MATH of music is important It is not as important as making it, expressing its artistry, or even reading and writing it Speak (MAKE MUSIC) Read (READ MUSIC) Write (WRITE MUSIC) Understand that singing is present participle of the verb sing (THEORY)

58 LIVE FROM MY SOAPBOX Theory, WHEN you need it, should be joyful too If you need your kids to practice theory, try to come from real music and go to real music When you must drill, don t kill. Make it fun! Stack Attack (musical symbols, key signatures, dynamics, real names of notes) Salute (note values) See my website for this powerpoint and lots of other fun ideas for practicing the elements of music.

59 DID WE HIT THE TARGET? 1. I can describe the history of Takadimi. 2. I can compare and contrast Takadimi with other systems. 3. I know how to get started with Takadimi.

60 LEARNING TARGETS Resources: Chappuis, J. (2019). Seven Strategies of Assessment for Learning. Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. William, D. (2011). Embedded Formative Assessment. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree. Moss, C.M., Brookhart, S.M. & Long, B.A. (2011). Knowing Your Learning Target. Educational Leadership, 68(6).

61 WHAT IS A LEARNING TARGET? A lesson-sized chunk of learning Written in student friendly language Allows the students to construct knowledge around a pre-determined scaffold Works like a GPS: Where am I now? Where am I going? How do I close the gap?

62 BUT, I AM A KODALY TEACHER! WE DO DISCOVERY LEARNING A learning target doesn t have to be so specific Consider: I can sing songs and speak poems I can echo syllables I can translate known patterns, songs, and poems into syllables I can translate NEW patterns, songs, and poems into syllables I can read notation using syllables I can read notation of known patterns, songs, and poems I can read notation of NEW patterns, songs, and poems I can create patterns using syllables I can write notation I can write notation of known patterns, songs, and poems I can write notation of NEW patterns, songs, and poems I can write notation for patterns I create

63 BUT, I SEE 755 KIDS ONCE A WEEK, 6 GRADE LEVELS PER DAY!! Posting your learning targets doesn t have to be unmanageable. Try to find a way to post it and LEAVE IT UP. My solution? Adapted from Steps and Stars, a strategy found in the Chappuis s Seven Strategies

Rhythm Syllable Systems

Rhythm Syllable Systems Patty Haman 16 July 2015 Origins French Time-Names, early 19 th Century Pierre Galin, French Mathematician We should not recommend teaching a child to speak by means of reading,