Chapter 3 Musical Features: Time and Dramatic Tension Text: Eliot Bates Instructor s Manual: Christopher Roberts All activities are keyed as follows: AA = All ages E = Elementary (particularly grades 3-6) S = Secondary (middle school and high school, grades 7-12) C/U = College and university 1. Asymmetric meter (3.1) (AA). Do Activities 3.1 and 3.2 in the text to become familiar with the long- short- short- long usul pattern. Divide into groups of three or four people. Assign each group a nursery rhyme common in their culture, then ask them to speak it in the usul pattern from track 4 The text will no longer align with the natural way of speaking. Note that the rhythm will not necessarily be spoken in the long- short- short- long pattern; rather, the underlying pulse will follow the meter. See Resource 3.1 for rhyme suggestions. 2. Beat stems (3.2) (AA). The rhythms of the aksak dance styles of Turkey are described in the text as limping. Divide your students into groups of four, and assign each group a common children s song or rhyme in duple meter (or use the same rhyme or song from the previous supplemental activity). Within each group, ask two students to (1) learn to speak the piece in Türk aksaği usulu (Figure 3.1 in the text, p. 54); then (2) write it out in staff notation, with the stems of the strong beats pointing up, and the stems of the weak beats pointing down. The other two students in the same group should write the pattern for the variant of Türk aksaği usulu (Figure 3.2, p. 55). Then, they should perform their pieces for each other. As an extension, students can speak the rhythm only, calling the stronger beats dum and the weaker beats tek. 3. Hands-on usul I (3.2) (AA). Usul can be performed with the hands, with the left hand performing the strong beats while the right hand performs the weak beats. Take a song that students know well. After writing the rhythm on the board in conventional staff notation, ask students to: a. Sing the song while using their left hand to pat the strong beat on their left leg. b. Sing the song while using their right hand to pat the weak beat on their right leg. c. Sing the song while half of the class uses their left hand to perform the strong beats and the other half of the class uses their right hand to perform the weak beats.
d. Sing the song while all students perform both the strong and weak beats on the appropriate leg. e. Transfer the strong and weak beats to a common classroom instrument, such as a drum. Invite the students to experiment with ways to show the stronger and weaker beats. After sharing their ideas with their classmates, the class can sing the song while playing the strong and weak beats on their instruments. 4. Hands-on usul II (3.2) (S, C/U). Usul patterns can be performed with hands, with the left hand performing the strong beats while the right hand performs the weak beats. While the individual groups share their creations from Supplemental Activity 3.2 with the whole class, ask the rest of the students to perform the usul with their hands along with the performance. 5. Name that usul (3) (S, C/U). Put usul figures up on the board: Devr-i turan usulu (p. 56), Devr-i-hindi (mandira) usulu (p. 56), Türk aksaği (p. 54), and aksak semia usulu (p. 57). Then, play excerpts from the following pieces to determine if the students can correctly identify the usul patterns. Encourage them to tap the strong beats with their left hand, and the weak ones with their right. a. Devr-i turan usulu: track 7 b. Devr-i hindi (mandira) usulu: track 23 c. Türk aksaği: track 22 d. Aksak semia usulu: track 4 6. Embellishment (3.3) (S, C/U). The author notes that even when a whole ensemble plays a melody, each instrumentalist performs the rhythm slightly differently, resulting in a heterorhythmic texture. Listen to track 22 while looking at the transcription on p. 63, paying particular attention to the vocal and tulum parts. Note that the melodic line of the two parts is basically the same, but the tulum rhythm is more complex. Then, divide students into pairs. Ask them to choose a melody that they both know it could be from an ensemble to which they belong, a rock song they both like, or a children s song they recall from their youth. If possible, send them into practice rooms to attempt this form of embellishment, where one person sings (or plays) the normal song tune, while the partner adds extra notes similar to that done in the listening example. Both students should attempt the embellishment. Finally, have them return to the class. They can share their musical creations, if comfortable. Also, engage in discussion around the process. Was embellishing difficult? Why or why not? What made it easier/more difficult? Did one person in the pair have more difficulty than the other? 7. Creating world music (3.4) (C/U). Listen to track 18, while looking at the 8 measures of Kiremit Barcalari notated on p. 64. Assign students to play different parts, practice on their own, then try to perform it together. After
Ask the students to listen critically: What should they change about their performance in order to more closely approximate the sound on the recording? Allow students time to refine their parts (if necessary), and repeat the ensemble performance, incorporating the students suggestions. Don t worry overly about exact replication of the instrumentation; students can (and should!) play whatever instruments they know. After completing the exercise, discuss with the students the pros and cons of using non- Turkish instruments to perform this piece. 8. Soru-Cevap characteristics (3.5) (S, C/U). a. Review the ways that the soru-cevap form is structured by making a list of the qualities listed on pp. 66 69, either in small groups or as a whole class for example, call and response; the response (cevap) rarely repeats the question (soru); the cevap and soru may overlap by one or more notes; in performance, the cevap often sounds different from the soru, as the performer(s) may alter the playing style or instrumentation; the ending note of the cevap phrase is often the same note as the successive soru; the cevap is likely to have improvisatory portions, but the soru is generally through- composed; the cevap is often louder; the cevap often has a greater variety and density of ornaments. Alternatively, fill out the answers using Resource 3.2. b. Then, listen to Mahrum-i Şevkim (track 12) while following along with the score on p. 68. How many of the characteristics on the list you created can be found in this excerpt? Are there other similarities or differences between the soru and the cevap that you notice as you listen (e.g., phrase length, repetitive phrases)? 9. Make your own Soru-Cevap (3.5) (S, C/U). a. Divide the class into groups of four to eight students. Provide each of them with the transcription of one of the call- and- response songs provided in Resource 3.3 (or use another call- and- response song that your students know). In all of these cases, it is typical of these folk songs that one person sings the call, while a group sings the response. First, ask the groups to learn the songs and perform them for the class, as written (listening to field recordings, as available). b. Once the students have performed their songs, return to the list of the qualities of the soru-cevap form, created in Supplemental Activity 3.8, or create a list from pp. 66 69. Compare the notation from the call- and- response songs just performed to the ones from the list. Create a list of similarities and differences, using the form that follows the notation. c. After identifying the differences between the soru-cevap qualities and the call- and- response examples, return to the call- and- response performance. Invite the students to determine ways to alter the
notation and the performance style to make it more like the Turkish form. 10. Connect the pictures (3.6) (C/U). For homework, assign different students to do Activity 3.13 (on p. 72 in the text). In this assignment, the students draw the melodic shape (called the seyir) of a piece of music. Ask them to write the contour large enough to be seen by a classroom of students. The following day, choose four assignments, placing them on the board in front of the class. Play one of the excerpts for the class, and ask the students to identify which transcription is being performed. For elementary students, this can be modified by placing fewer assignments on the board for the multiple choice part of the activity, or excluding the portion in which the students write the contour (i.e., the teacher transcribes the examples). For more advanced students, more than four written examples could be placed in front of the class.
Resource 3.1: Asymmetric meter in nursery rhymes Directions: Choose one of the following nursery rhymes. First, speak it as you normally would, then speak it in a long- short- short- long usul pattern.
Name Resource 3.2: Soru-Cevap Directions: Compare the soru and the cevap on the following characteristics. 1. How else could you describe the form of the soru-cevap? 2. What is the typical difference between the soru and the cevap in terms of dynamics? 3. Do the two parts play at the same time? 4. Do the soru and cevap tend to be improvised or composed? 5. Is there a difference in ornamentation? 6. What are some other ways that the soru might sound different from the cevap?
Resource 3.3: Call-and-response song examples Chorus (mm. 1-8) 2. Oh the moon shines bright down, Hill and Gully Ain t no place to hide m down, Hill and Gully An a zombie come a- ridin down, Hill and Gully. Chorus 3. Oh, my knees, they shake down, Hill and Gully An my heart strings start a- quakin down, Hill and Gully Ain nobody gonna get me down, Hill and Gully. Chorus 4. That s the last, I sit down, Hill and Gully Pray the Lord don let me down, Hill and Gully Ain nobody gonna get me down, Hill and Gully Chorus
Game: Children stand in a circle. Leader (teacher) sings solo lines, children sing response. When a child is named ("Please Mr. or Miss ), he or she "flies away" across the circle and takes a new place. The children may clap on the offbeat when they have learned to do this.
The text has no meaning. Game: One leader (the teacher or a student) sings the call and performs the following motions, then the rest of the players echo the phrase while repeating the movements. Kye Kye Kule: Tap head four times on the beat. Kye Kye kofinsa: Tap shoulders four times on the beat, while twisting torso from side to side. Kofinsa langa: Tap waist four times on the beat, while twisting torso from side to side. Kaka shi langa: Tap knees four times on the beat. Kum adende: Tap ankles twice on kum, tap waist twice on adende. On the last phrase, all tap ankles twice on kum, tap waist twice on adende, then jump in the air, hands outstretched, on Hey!
Game: Standing circle, no partners A section (mm. 1 20): Beat one: Clap own hands; Beat 2: Clap hands of people on both sides of you. Repeat through A section. B section (mm. 21 end): Mm. 21-28: One person from circle improvises a motion into and back out of the circle. Mm. 29 36: Rest of circle imitates motions. For further interest, the solo person can subsitute another kind of food (oranges, chocolate cake, etc.) for pizza. Or, for that matter, anything they like or hate (basketball, recess, math tests, etc.).
2. She combed her hair but once a year, With every rake she shed a tear. 3. She churned the butter in Dad s old boot, And for a dasher she used her foot. 4. The butter came out a grizzly gray The cheese took legs and ran away. 5. She swept the floor but once a year, And for a broom she used a chair. 6. She kept her shoes on the pantry shelf, If you want anymore you can sing it yourself.
2. I ve got a home in Tennessee, Sail away, ladies, sail away That s the place I want to be, Sail away, ladies, sail away 3. If ever I get my new house done I ll give the old one to my son 4. Come along, boys, and go with me We ll go down to Tennessee 5. Ever I get my new house done Love you pretty gals one by one 6. Hush, little baby, don t you cry You ll be an angel by and by