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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.

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

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


Caboclinha, from Prole do Bebe (Baby’s family) no. 1 #32


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


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]

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