SEARCH & REFLECT oo / Ryth -_THE RHYTHM TREE ean a BN BN SS PMA BABA AHA 3S —3™ —3™—~ JJ) 371 7) JJ Jd) 3 ace a a) J] pos J 3 3 d SPACE BEAT DEEP STRUCTURE 34The Rhythm Tree is a system for explaining rhythms and their relationships to each other. It does not invent rhythms, but is a way of clarifying rhythmic figures which already exist, by building them up from the ‘Fundamental Rhythmic Unit' (beat-space-beat, see page 8). these basic two beats, which we have already e ‘The next unit which we deal with is three be seen th At the bottom of the tree are xplored in the One Two piece, | beats. In the diagram, it can ‘at these three beats fit into the same space (or length of time) as } the two beats below them. We call the relationship between the basic two beats and the three beats above them the ‘Fundamental Rhythmic Equation'; ray | rp oF | TIME/TEMPO AS RELATED RHYTHM This stage of the Tree (the under! lying Two and the Three above it) is termed the 'Deep Structure'. Moving up the tree into the 'Surface Structure! (four beats upwards) the same equation repeats itself over and over again, Achieving the skills necessary to play the rhythms of the ‘Deep Structure! strongly and evenly will make the smaller units of the ‘Surface Structure’ more easily attainable. We conceive of Time/Tempo as related smaller units are not faster tempos, but are subdivision: s of the same basic walking pace. It is particularly important in this piece that : 1. There is someone in the group familiar enou, igh with the Rhythm Tree to act a8 a leader for the rest of the group, and 2. Obviously, any given space (length of time) can be equally divided into Shy number of beats. For the sake of clarity, we have not included every Possibility on the diagram (only multiples of two and three are included) but | l t t t t ' a Each stage is thoroughly mastered before going on to the next one, j fives, sevens and nines) are a Some of the less commonly found subdivisions ( dealt with at the end of the piece + Tf you feel so inclined, you will have to work out the elevens, thirteens and other prime numbers f Good luck! ‘or yourself,METHOD OF SHOWING THE RHYTHM TREE IV Vi BEGIN by demonstrating a familiar 4/4 rhythm at an easy walking pace and get the group to join in, keeping it even. WHILE the group is playing the 4/4 rhythm, demonstrate the underlying 2/2 23 4/ GROUP 12 71 fd 2 / 34 LEADER: 1 2 PLAY the 4/4 while the group plays the slow 2/2 beneath it, showing that the TWO is exactly half the speed of the FOUR. Alternate between the TWO and the FOUR until the group is familiar with doubling the speed of the TWO to play the FOUR, and halving the FOUR to obtain the TWO, PLAY the 1 (the first beat of the bar) and get the group to play 2 beats per bar: GROUP 12/1 27 LEADER 41 41 / Swap around, the group playing the 1 while you play the 2. THE group continues to play the slow underlying ONE (always keeping the same tempo, while you demonstrate how to fit 3 beats into the same space. GROUP: 1 1 / / LEADER: 1 2 3 / 123 / Change over again, the group playing 3 beats per bar while you play the slow ONE. Alternate between the THREE and the ONE until the group is able to change freely between them. Dividing any length of space into three equal beats produces TRIPLETS. WHEN the group is fluent and steady at this, point out that this THREE lies between the TWO and the FOUR which they were playing earlier. It will be obvious that the 'feel' has changed (to a waltz), while the tempo has remained the same. RHYTHM TREE iSEA Learning to Pla ay 5 oVeR 7 METHOD 1 If we divide each bar into 6 be, eats, we can derive counts of either 3 or 2 by subdividing the 6, There are 3 groups of 2 in 6, and 2 groups of 3. The 3 is derived from Sccenting the ist, 3rd & Sth beats, The 2 Is derived from the 6 by stressing the Ist & 4th beats, tit tee 1 2 \ > i fs > Two's LU Lf 1 2 3 5 6 Thpreete ? f Crh 37 | , metal ! ERunnonow ee || < < BEGIN by demonstrating SIX over a slow TWO. Thi essentially the same process as in point V (page 36) dividing beats into triplets. SAYorCLAP:1 23 45 6/123 45 6 / TAP (foot): 1 2 41 2 / BY leaving out every other beat in the 6 (ie accenting the 1, 3 and 5) you obtain the THREE below the 6. This should be clear from the symmetry of the Rhythm Tree. (The spoken or clapped beats are underlined) SAYorCLAP: 1 2 3 456/41 2345 6 / TAP (foot): 1 2 / 1 2 SPLIT the group into two, making half of them Twos (Group 1) and the other half Threes (Group 2). The group should count the 6 out loud. Group 1 should clap on the 1s and the 4s (thus playing 2 beats to a bar) and Group 2 should clap on the 1s, the 3s and the 5s (playing 3 beats to a bar). (The underlinings show where claps should be) GROUP 1: 123456/123456/123456/. GROUP 2: 123456/123456/123456/ CHANGE over the groups, and repeat the last step. ONCE both groups have become confident with both the Two and the Three, get everyone to tap their feet on the TWO (on the 1 and the 4) while COUNTING the 6 out loud and clapping on the 1, 3 and 5. The group will now be clapping THREE whilst tapping out the TWO. VOICE: 123456/123456/123456/ CLAPS: 1°93 5 4/1 3 5 4/1 3 5 ¢ FEET 1 4 71 4 71 4 / Next, leave out the voices, leaving orily the THREE against the TWO. —_—_—_—oonFh. PEARON & REFLECT METHOD 2 This method treats the THREE over TWO as a rhythmic pattern or melody, &s opposed to counting out the 6, HSING your hands on your knees (or a drum) tap out the pattern "Together Left Right Left, Together’ Left Right Left" etc, This diagram shows how the pattern lies against the count of 6. RIGHT: © pee pe, 123456123456123456/, LEFT: se epee yy yoy ALTHOUGH easily memorised as a pattern or melody, it is important to be aware of one hand playing 2 beats and the other 3 beats. Try swapping the pattern around to “Together Right Left Right". ISOLATE each hand in turn, that is, tap only the left hand rhythm, and then only the right hand rhythm, then bring the other hand back in. GRY Using different surfaces for the different hands, so that you get a different sound for the TWO and the THREE: Then swap them over so that the sounds fue TWO and THREE are changed over. This should help to fear the TWO and THREE as separate rhythms while sti feeling the tension of one against the other,SOAR The group will already be familiar with the common 4/4 rhythm, and the concept of dividing a beat into 3 (triplets). This 4/4 triplet feel is used to obtain the cross-rhythm of THREE over FOUR. | BEGIN by taking 4 beats to a bar, ide each beat into triplets (groups of 3), making 12 triplets in all. JJ )3 | 35 8S BN 8S agge I DIVIDE the 12 triplets by 4, and accent the first of each group of 4. This gives you THREE over FOUR. The first accent falls on the first beat of the 4, the second just after the second beat of the 4, and the third falls just before the fourth beat of the 4. This creates, again, a rhythmic pattern which can be remembered as a melody.GETTING TO KNOW THE RHYTHM TREE It he patterns. $ the importance of the unde: eep a steady tempo while playing v Sic Te eee ee group starts by playing (clapping, tapping) a slow TWO. THE second group plays 3 beats over the slow TWO: 1 Ps GROUP 14 a 2 an P4 yi en a GROUP 2: 1 2 3 el Ey BUR en eee ea tT GROUP 1: 1 p 7h a oh 20s GROUP 33 1234/1234/1234/ THE last group plays 6, doubling the THREE (Group 2): fe] to] 0] a Fae GROUP 2: 14 GROUP 3: 1 23 4 GROUP 4: 123456 RAR Ss ea oe ees Cm a ee ONCE everyone is fluent in each rhythm, try changing from one rhythm to andther over the basic pulse. It may ee Tm Cause a Sees sae ea (se BORE USa ee ee ey TeT 1 2 a Bs ea} 2 / vA HANDCLAP:1 2 3 1234 /123456/ TRY tapping the basic pulse (ie the slow TWO) whilst OT or Sir a Co Oye ae Ce aeFIVES AND SEVENS Obviously, between the FOURS and the SIXES lie FIVES; similarly, between the SIXES and EIGHTS lie SEVENS. We haven't looked at these up till now, as they are less commonly found in Western music, and their unfamiliarity makes them harder to play. 5 OVER 4 METHOD 1 BEGIN by taking 4 beats. Divide each one into 5 equal beats, giving a total of 20. le these 20 beats into groups of 4, and accent the st beat of each group. This gives you FIVE over FOUR. Practise it by first playing all 20 beats the accents, then drop out all but the accented ones. This is not 5/4 time, but 5 beats falling in the same space as the original 4 beats did. 42 eSMETHOD 2 Because we are not used to hearing we begin by putting FOUR over FIVE, altho FIVE over FOUR. Broups of 5, it may be easier to play if ugh it looks more logical to put BEGIN by taking 5 beats Divide each beat into 4, Again, this gives a total of 20, JJ) DIVIDE the 20 by 5, and accent the first of each group oe This gives you FOUR over FIVE. You will hese each’ come together; the second and fourth beats of the 5, and the last beat of the s Comes lust before the fifth beat of the 5. Again, this Po Uces @ rhythmic melody, just as the THREE over qwO does. Once you've memorised the sound of ‘this Combination, it will be much easier to turn it upside down and get FIVE over FOUR. XJ J) JY Ge ae a 43er : BEGIN by taking 4 beats. Divide each one into 7. This gives you 28 beats in all. , J) J) 3 aN AIS ORIN nisi cr ELC CC DIVIDE the 28 into groups of 4 and accent the first beat of each group. This gives you SEVEN over FOUR. Jj J J METHOD 2 It may be easier to play SEVEN over FOUR if we start by putting FOUR over SEVEN. It is unfamiliar to most of us to hear notes divided intro groups of 7, so instead of starting with 4 beats, begin with 7 beats. ) BEGIN by taking 7 beats, and divide each beat into 4, again producing 28. Now divide the 28 into groups of seven, accenting the first of each group. This gives you FOUR over SEVEN. Once familiar with the sound of this, it will be easier to play SEVEN over FOUR. ) ) J Uf Uy CO oe CO Ly LEfy ? > 44RHYTHM TREE “ In the same way as the TWOS and the THREES double up: 20 — 40 ES = BG NINES can be derived by simply placing triplets against each beat of the slow THREE. Is Creert fit Similarly, we can get EIGHTEENS by placing triplets against each beat of the SIX (thus doubling up the NINES), and so on. —3 —_3N dJI)d) 235 635 35 635 ABN 73S (OLY CPO Pee 46ae | \¢ OEE a aw \ srr "¢ ¢ \ / I) This piece is an example of composing directly from the Rhythm Tree, The melodie line was suggested by the rhythmic groupings: the pitches were arr: at after having made the rhythmic choie ved) Although the rhythms are constantly changing, the underlying feel is of a slow two beats per bar. The melody S86 bar pattern, repeated to make # 12 bar line, The rhythm parts are interlocking, ‘sharing’ a simple 12 bar line, which falls into two 6 bar phrases. | THE rhythms of the melody are as follows: SIX over TWO (bar 1): TWO over TWO (bar 2): FouR eg, (bar 3): slow THREE under thy (bars 4 & 5): THREE over TWO (bar 6) lI THE rhythmic pattern of the accompaniment is: FOUR over TWO (bars 1 to\6); THREE over TWO (bars 7 (2,12): The pattern is shared between the two parts (see score), Ul ti iS 2 Good idea to get everyone to sing, play or clap all the parts to fami themselves with the piece as 5 tole, and to recognise the differant in feel as the rhythm parts change. IV ARE pitches of the rhythm parts are selected by the Players themselves, bearing ths melody in mind, PERFORMING ‘ALL PURPOSE’ After playing through the tune, the melodic line could be Played at half speed (lasting 12 bars instead of 6), This could be use ‘das a backing line for the Soloists. Using tne rhythmic structure of 6 bars of FOUR over TWO and 6 bars of THREE over TWO set up by the rhythm lines, solos may be take Special attention to the sort of rhythmic choices suggested by the Rhythm Tree), n, paying he melody (and 47Auk PURPOSE | Another idea to stretch the melody instruments is to stagger their entries to make a 'round', That is, someone starts playing the melody alone, the second melody player enters a bar later (playing the same 6 bars) and so on. This is a similar process to that in the 'Numbers' piece (page 49). MELODY abe be BSN ——*- 35,4 oN oS NS S| SS eS 3 | 3 | es S | a S| 2S