Drumming for Melodic Instruments
Pennsic XXVI Monday Aug 10th 2:00-4:00pm Orluk Oasis

(Proper title: Better Middle Eastern Drumming for Melodic Instruments)

Warning and Disclaimer:
The "points" and "facts" discussed in this class are generalizations and guides, not rules and not laws. Music is artistic and there are always other ways to do music.

I. Introduction:

A. Music is
* A sound game
* Sound pleasure (Audio entertainment)
* A COOPERATIVE artistic CONSTRUCTION project
*
*
*

B. Music uses Sound and Silence as its medium, but is made by people by varying
* Sounds
* Volume (loudness)
* Tone (types of sounds)
* Pitch
* Complexity (simple vs complex)
* Rhythm
* Tempo
* IDIOMS
*
*
*
*

C. Types of music: (Most cultures have these three broad categories of music, with overlap between the categories)

1. Religious
   
2. Folk
   
3. Classical
   

D. A good way to think of music is as a cooperative construction project.
* Everyone should contribute
* Purpose of drum: Metronome vs Musical Instrument

(Take discussion notes in this space)











II. The class activities:

A. Starting music

1. Drummer starts
   
2. Melody starts
   
3. Everyone starts
   

Regardless of how we start, in the first few measures of the music, remember to try to adjust volume, fix rhythm, and pay attention to tempo cues from the melody line . These should also be adjusted whenever there is a huge change in the music, such as a new melody, or the change over between the vocal and instrument parts.

B. Middle of music

1. Listen
   
2. Listen
   
3. Listen
   
4. Play
   
5. Pay attention to the "Idioms" of the music you are playing, so that you can
   
6. make interesting dynamic changes such as
   
7. Change Volume
   
8. Change Tone (types of sounds)
   
9. Change Pitch
   
10. Change Complexity (simple vs complex)
    
11. Change Rhythm
    
12. Change Tempo
    

Some times, you want to make these changes yourself alone, other times, you want to team up with another player and make these changes together or in a complementary fashion. Often, the whole ensemble should make these changes together.

Special topic: Taksim, Takaseem, whatever

Arabic and Middle Eastern music often has a melodic improvisational interlude called Takseem. This is done at the same average tempo as the rest of the song, but one instrumentalist plays improvised notes within a certain makam (you can think of makam as a kind of musical key or scale). The instrumentalist will play many slow, long, notes that are sometimes out of rhythm or staggered compared to the basic rhythm and measures. The other instrumentalist will either be quiet or play a simple complementary "bass line". The drummers should play very regularly, and changes in drum pattern rhythm should be complementary to the mood and timing of the improvisation.

C. Ending: There are different ways to end:

1. Don't end
   
   Sometimes you don't end, you change to another tune. It may have the same rhythm, but even then the drummers may choose to spice up the rhythm or play a different version of the same basic rhythm to emphasize the change.
   
   
2. End by fading
   
3. End together
   

Other than direct body language or spoken commands to end, there are melodic ways to signal an ending. After you've been playing the song awhile, pay attention near the end melodic phrases; signals to stop playing come near the end of melodic phrases.
Here are some melodic ways that a melodic player can signal then end:

* playing very staccato and louder to punctuate the basic melody
* playing a melodic phrase with extra repeats instead of changing to the other phrase
* playing scales or improvised high notes at the end of a phrase
* slowing down dramatically

Usually there will ALSO be a body language signal or spoken command to end. But, often these signals are not clear or visible to every player, and the signals do not always mean "Lets stop". If you see an obvious signal from a melody maker, be prepared for Ending or for other dynamic changes like slowing downs, changing songs, etc etc.

Sometimes there is a slow down at the end. Other times there is no tempo change, but a build up of volume. Other times a build of sounds, and a breaking from rhythm. Often there is one loud extra note.

If the melodic instruments stop without warning you, then keep playing and end when you want. (But pay attention to the melody makers, they may just want you to do a solo or want to talk to you about doing a new thing)