SENSE OF RHYTHM AND TIMING WITH LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC Dr. Alejandro Cremaschi [email protected] University of Colorado -‐ Boulder
Goals • Discuss approaches to teaching and thinking rhythm • Demonstrate Latin American pieces
What pieces? • Latin American pieces inspired by folk • Different rhythmic energies • From elegant salon dances • To “wild” dissonant toccata-‐style pieces
• Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina • Available in the US
What can you learn? • Embodied rhythm. Strong sense of pulse • Different rhythmic energies • Direction • Syncopation • Irregular rhythmic groupings • Layering of rhythms • Effective management of stamina • Flexibility
Thinking rhythm • First thing we teach: steady pulse and counting rhythm • Counting and clapping • Unit • Metric • Kodaly’s “ti-‐ti-‐ta-‐ta”
1 1 1 1 and 1 1 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 and 2 3 1 2 3 ta ta ta ti ti ta ta ta -‐ ah -‐ ah
Rhythmic words • Use of rhythmic words to help internalization • Walk q • Whole-‐note-‐hold-‐it! w • Half-‐note h • Mountain ee • Colorado xxxx • Buffalo xxe • Blueberry e xx • Rabbit e. x • Pineapple (triplets) eee
Teaching rhythm • Sightreading and Rhythm Every Day. Helen Marlais & Kevin Olson. FJH • Dictation from early on • x x x xx x x x • 1 2 3 | 1 2 3 | 1 2 3||
Rhythmic performance • Clap and count (using “and”, etc.) • Marching & stomping the beat • Conducting the beat (“rhythmic solfege”) • Scatting with direction
Organic rhythm • The grid • Organic rhythm • Breathes • Has direction • Has shape
Direction • Rhythm + dynamic shape + accents = IT’S ALIVE!!!! • “Building blocks” at the micro level micro level have direction • Large scale direction
Direction • Pedro de Alcantara. Integrated Practice: Coordination, Rhythm and Sound. Oxford University Press. • Building blocks result of three types of energy: • Preparation (p) • STRESS (S) • Release (r)
Different combinations • Iambic p S (to BE or NOT to BE) • Trochaic S r (NE-‐ver, NE-‐ver, NE-‐ver ) • Dactylus S r r (WA-‐shing-‐ton) • Amphibrach p S r (ba-‐NA-‐na) • Anapest p p S (go to HERE)
Danza Criolla. Ginastera
From Twelve American Preludes.
Danza Criolla. Ginastera
From Twelve American Preludes.
Abby Whiteside • “I feel strongly that (the term) rhythm should never be used for meter and note values, but be reserved for that continuous undulating action which once started, is impelled to carry the entire musical performance to a close.” • “There must be a physical action in the playing mechanism which proceeds from the first tone of the phrase to the last tone... This action may go directly from one accent to another and use these accents as stepping stones in its procedure to the close of the musical statement.” • From her book On Piano Playing
Latin American music • Dance and songs • Origins • Spanish/Portuguese • African • Indigenous
Latin American music • Habanera rhythm as origin of many 2/4 dances • Tango, milonga, candombe, danza, danzon, cha-‐cha-‐cha, mambo, guaracha, maxixe, reggaeton, cumbia
• Samba, choro • Strong African elements
• Polka • Waltz
Latin American music • 6/8 dances with hemiolas • Chacarera, zamba, son jarocho, malambo, huapango, cueca
• Multiple layers of rhythm • Layers with different accent and groupings placements
Chacarera
Habanera
Habanera 2
Salsa
TEMPO FLEXIBILITY
Rubato / tempo flexibility • Marvin Blickenstaff’s “body copycat” • Living metronome exercise on a C scale (Alcantara)
Rubato / tempo flexibility • Oral tradition • Can be explained: • “Pull back” the tempo:
1. Edges a phrase (beginning / end) 2. Special harmonic moment (e.g. mode change) 3. Melodic jump 4. Climax and arrival (broadening)
• “Push forward” tempo 1. To build excitement (e.g. sequences), often leading to climax 2. When “singer” is “quiet” (transitions)
Tempo flexibility • Use intuition • Avoid being predictable • Experiment: there are often several ways
Alberto Ginastera 1916-‐1983
Danza de la Moza Donosa from Danzas Argentinas (Argentinean Dances) #6
GRACE AND DIRECTION Salon dances
Salon dances • Buoyant but elegant energy • Syncopation • Clear direction • Tempo stability
Salon dances • Often subtle African influence • Habanera, tango, choro, maxixe, samba, etc • Syncopation • Slightly accented often against the “grid”
Salon dances • Contemporary pedagogical pieces • Catherine Rollin. Dancing on the Keys series • Gillock • Vandall • Alexander • Wynn-‐Anne Rossi • Eugenie Rocherolle
Salon dances • Latin American quasi-‐classical composers • Nazareth (Brazil) • Cervantes, Lecuona (Cuba) • Morel Campos (Puerto Rico) • Piazzolla (Argentina)
• Latin American “classical” composers • Villa-‐Lobos, Lorenzo-‐Fernandez, Ginastera, etc
Catherine Rollin
Samba Fun, from Dancing on the Keys vol. 2 #11
Heitor Villa-‐Lobos
Sacy, from Petizada #13
Ernesto Lecuona 1895-‐1963
“La comparsa,” from Afro-‐Cuban Dances #18
Ernesto Nazaret 1863-‐1934
Odeon, from Tangos and Brazilian Dances #15
Astor Piazzolla
Verano Porteño #19
IRREGULAR METERS
Irregular meters • Definitely not from dance! • Often inspired by “imagined music” of ancient indigenous people of the Americas • New music in the 1940s • Sometimes neoclassic
Alberto Ginastera
In the First Pentatonic Mode, from Twelve American Preludes #24
Juan José Moncayo
No. 1 of Tres Piezas #25
Alberto Ginastera
Coda, from Suite de Danzas Criollas (Suite of Creole Dances) #26
CROSS-‐RHYTHMS
Cross-‐rhythms • Some habanera-‐influenced dances • Triplets • Several examples in the dance anthologies
Alberto Ginastera
Milonga #27
GROUPINGS AND RHYTHMIC LAYERING Latin America at its essence
Grouping and layering • 3 + 3 + 2 • Layering of different groupings • Origin: African percussion ensembles
Oscar Lorenzo-‐Fernandez
Dancing Yaya, no. 1 from Yaya the Doll #31
Heitor Villa-‐Lobos
Caboclinha, from Prole do Bebe (Baby’s family) no. 1 #32
Heitor Villa-‐Lobos
A Lenda do Caboclo (The legend of the peasant)
TOCCATA-‐STYLE WRITING Audience rouser
Toccata-‐style • Exciting writing • Uses energetic folk dance rhythms • Teach: • Stamina • Climax building • Efficient use of energy • Direction and forward-‐motion
Toccata-‐style • For momentum and direction • Don’t overplay forte dynamics • Whenever possible, understate notes between beats and bring out beat
• Find release points • Better on the dry side, less pedal
Heitor Villa-‐Lobos
Punch, from Baby’s family (Prole do bebe) #39
Alberto Ginastera
Homage to Garcia Morillo, from Twelve American Preludes #37
Oscar Lorenzo-‐Fernandez
Dance (Caterete), from Second Brazilian Dance. #40
Ginastera
Malambo #41
THANK YOU! Slides available at: www.AlejandroCremaschi.com Or email me: [email protected]