SENSE OF RHYTHM AND TIMING WITH LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC Dr. Alejandro Cremaschi Alejandro.Cremaschi@colorado.edu University of Colorado – Boulder Handout and slides at: www.alejandrocremaschi.com 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 Pieces with frequent rhythm problems •  Sudden changes of rhythmic values Clementi. Sonatina Op. 36 No. 1 Second mvt. Mozart. Sonata K. 545. First mvt. Beethoven. Sonata Op. 2 No. 1. Second mvt. Technical challenges Clementi. Sonatina Op. 36 No. 1. First mvt. Beethoven. Fur Elise. Complex rhythms and cross-­‐rhythms Debussy. Arabesque No. 1. Quick ornaments Bach. Minuet in G (Anna Magdalena Notebook). Bach. WTC I Prelude in g. Thinking rhythm •  First thing we teach: steady pulse and counting rhythm •  Counting and clapping •  Unit •  Metric •  Kodaly’s “ti-­‐ti-­‐ta-­‐ta” t1 a 21 t a i t a 13 t a nd 1 3 t a 1 1 t i a atnd 1 2 t a 1 1 -­‐ 2 a 2h -­‐ 3a 3h Rhythmic words •  Use of rhythmic words to help internalization •  Walk
•  Whole-­‐note-­‐hold-­‐it! •  Half-­‐note •  Mountain •  Colorado •  Buffalo •  Blueberry
•  Rabbit •  Pineapple
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 are the result of three types of energy: •  Preparation (p) •  STRESS (S) •  Release (r) Different combinations •  Iambic
•  Trochaic •  Dactylus •  Amphibrach •  Anapest p S (to BE or NOT to BE) S r (NE-­‐ver, NE-­‐ver, NE-­‐ver ) S r r (WA-­‐shing-­‐ton) p S r (ba-­‐NA-­‐na) 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.
2.
3.
4.
Edges a phrase (beginning / end) Special harmonic moment (e.g. mode change) Melodic jump Climax and arrival (broadening) •  “Push forward” tempo 1.
2.
To build excitement (e.g. sequences), often leading to climax 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: Alejandro.Cremaschi@colorado.edu