Part Four are the rhythm tools: Rap the words, Takadimi, count singing. Each have their roles, and particular problems that they help to solve. In this episode, peek into some rehearsals where students demonstrate their tool selection and application.
Beat is felt in the body, constructed in the brain, and CAN be taught. Rhythm is the next layer of time division. Choirs are notorious for not being great at it… Mine are no exception. A few years ago I got tired of choirs that struggle with rhythm and beat. So, we began installing more tools. We are nowhere near where we need to be, but we are getting there!
In Part 4, we will go through the various rhythm tools that solve 99% of rhythm problems for singers, and players alike. We STILL want students to hear music happening, as fluently as language, in their head. And as Carol Krueger said wisely in episode 90, we want them to “be able to grab a score, and go sit under a tree and read it like it’s Moby Dick.” But how do we do this? (Pitch is only one part of the puzzle. Be sure to go back to Part 1-3 if you
The secret is the sequence, the repetition and the QUESTIONS! The ones we ask, and eventually the ones they learn to ask.
Tune in, and have your thinking stimulated and challenged. Then, weigh in yourself with your related ideas and experiences on Facebook in the Choralosophers group or over on choralosophy.substack.com Also, don’t forget to grab a reading rope for your classroom wall from the shop! Music Reading Rope
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