African Drumming Flashcards
what are african instruments made of?
often made from plants and animal products such as hide and bone.
what are African Musicians very fond of?
Percussion Instruments
what are drums called?
membranophones (there’s a wide variety of them)
Drums are traditionally used as an accompaniment to…?
to singing, dancing, working and communicating between villages
who are typically respected members of the African Community?
Drummers
what is the most famous drum?
the talking drum
why is the talking drum called the talking drum?
because the PITCH can be altered by tightening or loosening a cord around the body of the drum and the changes have been likened to the sound of the human voice
what are talking drums usually played with?
sticks
what is a Djembe made out of and shaped like?
is a skin-covered hand drum shaped like a large goblet made out of single tree trunk hollowed out. The skin is made from goatskin and rope
what is goatskin and rope used for on a djembe?
from goatskin and rope is used to tighten the skin to tune the drum to the appropriate PITCH
what is the djembe played with?
The DJEMBE is played with the hands
how many tones can the Djembe play and what are they called?
3 different tones
1) the bass tone
2) the slap tone
3) the tone
how do you play the bass tone?
hitting the centre of the main drum skin with a flat hand
how do you play the slap tone?
hitting the edge of the drum with fingers slightly open
how do you play the tone?
hitting the edge of the drum with fingers held together
how many different drum sounds are there? and what are they?
6: Gun(G), Dun(D), go(g), do(d), Pa(P),Ta(T)
what is the Gun(G) and Dun(D) drum sound?
Gun(G)= Right
Dun(D)=Left
A long, low pitched bass sound made by striking the middle of the drone
what is the go(g) and do(d) drum sound?
go(g)=right
do(d)=left
a medium pitched tone made by striking the drum halfway between the edge and the centre
what is the Pa(P) and Ta(T) drum sound?
Pa(P)=Right
Ta(T)=Left
a short high pitched slap made by striking the edge of the drum
how do drummers dampen the sound?
by resting one hand or stick on the skin while playing with the other
how do drummers create create a different sound on a drum?
Sometimes they strike the wooden part of the drum to create a different sound
how do drummers change the pitch of a drum?
pitch by tightening or loosening the skin.
what is the Dundun also known as?
the Donno
what is the Dundun?
) is a rope-tuned cylindrical drum with a rawhide skin at both ends, most commonly cow or goat.
what is the Dundun played with? and often worn on?
a stick and played horizontally often worn with a shoulder strap.
how many basic sounds can a Dundun produce?
3,
1) O- an open sound
2) M- a muted sound played with one hand ‘muting’ the drum by resting on the skin, creating a shorter sound
3) X- the bell on the Dundun
what are drums often used as?
a form of communication.
why does African drumming feature bells and rattles?
to ‘cut through’ the sound of several drums
what is a popular bell-like instrument?
the agogo
what does sounds does the agago make?
two different pitches when struck, low and high
what does the master drummer do? 6 points
1) controls tempo
2) controls the change of rhythms or sections by giving signals/musical cues to performers and dancers (leads the drum ensemble)
3) performs the most elaborate and complex parts
4) plays solos
5) ACCENTs certain beats within a rhythm cycle
6) He often IMPROVISES highly complicated rhythms and can indicate the ending of a piece of music as well as playing the “CALL” to CALL AND RESPNOSE SECTIONS which are ‘responded’ by the drum ensemble.
how does call and response work with a master drummer and ensemble?
the master drummer is playing the “CALL” to CALL AND RESPNOSE SECTIONS which are ‘responded’ by the drum ensemble.
what are other percussion instruments (other than drums) called?
idiophones
what are examples of other percussion instruments?
clappers, maracas, scrapers, gongs and xylophones (called BALAFONS)
what are xylophones called?
balafons
how do the other percussion instruments produce their sound?
by vibration
what are stringed instruments called?
chordophones
what are examples of stringed instruments (chordophones)?
as bows, lyres, zithers, harps and the KORA are popular
what are woodwind instruments called?
aerophones
what woodwind instruments (aerophones) are there?
whistles, flutes, reed pipes, trumpets and horns
why is singing a vital part of everyday life? where is it heard?
Many Africans believe that music serves as a link to the spirit world, and heard at religious ceremonies, rituals and celebrations
what is a basic form of African Vocal Music?
choral singing known as call and response
what is choral singing/call and response?
where one singer (SOLOIST) or small group of singers sings a line and the whole group (CHORUS) makes a reply (often a fixed REFRAIN) – like a “musical conversation” – in alternation with the “lead singer”. The soloist often IMPROVISES.
what is it called when African singers often “shout words” ?
vocables
male and female singers enjoy using their highest VOCAL REGISTER, what is this known as?
falsetto
whats falsetto?
male and female singers enjoy using their highest VOCAL REGISTER
whats “a cappella”?
African singing can be accompanied by instruments but can also be unaccompanied (A CAPPELLA)
what is The best known examples of African Choral Singing ?
from the group LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO.
what is used to organise the music?
repetition
what is used for the basis of improvisation?
Often a repeating pattern (OSTINATO or TIMELINE) is used as basis for IMPROVISATION functioning to “hold the piece together”(Whereas Western Music is often played with the same rhythm throughout the piece)
what are rhythms based on?
African drumming is often played with a number of rhythms at the same time, often based on rhythmic cycles of varying lengths.
what sort of rhythms are often used?
triplet rhythms
what does the master drummer perform?
performs the most elaborate and complex parts
whats a polyrhythm?
(many individual rhythmic parts interweaving with each other (sometimes in different metres) and producing a thick POLYPHONIC texture
what creates a polyrhythm in african drumming?
different rhythmic cycles with different accents can be played together –this creates POLYRHYTHMS
what sort of pulse is there?
a strong pulse, usually divided into groups of 3 or 4.
in west Africa, how many players does a drum ensemble have?
have 3-5 players each with a distinctive method of striking their drum and playing interlocking rhythms (This creates a THICK and complex POLYPHONIC texture. )
whats a cross-rhythm?
Sometimes two or more rhythms interlock and overlap creating musical tension
what is syncopation?
SYNCOPATION is often used where emphasis is given on notes or beats that are normally classed as “weak beats” or “off-beats”.
why is the tempo normally fast?
much African music was designed for dancing and social gatherings, the tempo is normally fast or set appropriately to “match the dance steps”.
what is the tempo?
normally fast
what are most African Melodies based on? what are they often expanded by?
a “limited number of pitches” - four, five, six or seven note SCALES and are normally short and simple, often expanded by REPETITION and IMPROVISATION.
what is the pitch in African Drumming?
The pitch in African drumming is largely determined by the tuning of the drums.
what does the structure of the piece determine on?
the master drummer
how long is African drumming?
has no fixed or determined length, entirely dependent on the rhythms used, can last for several hours
how do African singers create harmony?
by singing in thirds, fourths or fifths
what sorts of other harmony (not thirds, fourths or fifths are there)?
UNISON and PARALLEL OCTAVE harmony is also common.
when is ornamentation used?
The MASTER DRUMMER uses it, he can elaborate and decorate his solo drum part with accents and playing in a technically demanding style to “show off” to the drum ensemble and audience.
what is oral tradition?
where music is passed on verbally and being ‘learned’ rather than written down.
how is African Music handed down?
Much African Music is TRADITIONAL and has been handed down from father to son – THE ORAL TRADITION
how does everyone join in in African Music?
African Music is rarely performed as a “classical concert”, rather, everyone joins in by singing, dancing, playing an instrument or clapping
how are people united in African music?
African music unites people regardless of ability and is a part of everyday life
why is African music important to Africans?
Music is important to Africans especially at Social Gatherings as well as being a way of communicating emotions and feelings
what art forms is African music combined with?
African music is often combined with other art forms such as movement, dance, mime, speech, story-telling and costumes such as masks or body painting.
what events is African Music used?
a number of occasions such as birthdays, weddings, funerals and harvest.
what is an integral part of the performance?
Shouting and cheering from the audience are an integral part of the performance.
who is a famous performer?
BOLOKADA CONDE, (a master drummer from Kissidougou, Guinea and one of the world’s most foremost Djembe players. He has travelled and performed in major venues all over the world since 1996 and conducts percussion workshops including an instructional DVD for playing the Djembe. )
what are the dynamics?
Since African Drumming is often performed outside and at social gatherings and celebrations, the dynamics are generally LOUD (FORTE – f) or VERY LOUD (FORTISSIMO – ff)
how is African music been a major influence on the development of popular music ?
music contributing rhythms, structures, melodic features and the use of improvisation to such styles as blues, gospel and jazz, brought over to America by slaves.
what is the Gahu?
The Gahu is a popular dance among the Ewe people of South Ghana,Togo and Benin
what is the Akom?
The fast Akam is a religious dance from West Africa
what is the Doudoumba?
Known as ‘the dance of the strong men’
