education – Alive Drumming

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The History Of Rhythmic Education Throughout The Ages

June 23, 2021

So what are the beginnings of music? Did our forefathers start by pounding objects together to generate rhythm or singing with their voices? What were the tools they used? Has music always been such a significant part of human culture, and if so, why? These are among the questions about rhythmic education and how it evolved through the ages.

So let’s take a tour down history lane and clear some clouds on these questions.

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What Exactly Is Music?

This is a tricky question to answer since everybody has their viewpoint. For example, Jeremy Montagu of Oxford university characterises music as a “sound that expresses emotion.” Using such a definition, a mother trying to sing or hum to soothe her newborn would most likely be considered music, yet this basic melody would have signified speech.

Therefore, where do we draw the distinction separating music and speech? You may assume it’s rhythm, pattern, and pitch control—and you got it right!

Rhythm, pattern, and pitch control are crucial aspects of music. Our forefathers may have produced rhythmic music by clapping their hands. This might be traced back to the first musical instruments when someone discovered that banging sticks or stones together doesn’t cause as much pain in the hands.

Since then, rhythm and music have evolved in many respects, along with the dynamic changes experienced by civilisations brought about by technology. Today, musicians enjoy various tools to make the most out of rhythm and music.

Song Rhythm Tracks—A Breakthrough In Creating Rhythm Tracks

Particular to playing the drums, one great example is Song Rythm Tracks. It’s an app that allows for creating collections of rhythm tracks used as a backing in playing songs. With Song Rhythm Tracks, one must adopt a unique approach to creating rhythm tracks unfamiliar to a prospective user. The application uses bar numbers to indicate where drumming breaks occur.

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“Using the app, I find it much quicker and more valuable than other alternatives. For instance, when my band and I pick a track to play, the arrangement is displayed as “3 choruses of 32 bar AABA with a 4-bar intro’ and an 8-bar ending”. From that, we know straight away what the drummer will be playing. The app also makes us play along the track correctly,”

says music enthusiast and CEO of Credit Capital Alister Clare.

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Why Use Song Rhythm Tracks?

Educating musicians about song form is a challenge that requires some technical content—that cannot be avoided. However, song form should not be a difficult concept. It’s essentially counting the number of bars in sections, which is where some musicians might struggle. Song Rhythm Tracks takes the burden away so you can jam, sing, and play your heart out.

Moreover, you’ll always have great background tracks on your phone or iPad with track listings and a player. Song Rhythm Tracks are high-quality rhythm backing tracks that are simple to use. You will not be required to sequence anything.

Plus, the user interface will make you love to use it again and again. With that, you will have a greater appreciation for your music, and you may decide to incorporate these tunes in your singles and album releases. Don’t let terrible experiences with some other mobile drumming apps deter you. The Song Rhythm Tracks are perfect for learning a new song, jamming, performing, or recording your current album.

Get That Perfect Rhythm For Your Song Using Song Rhythm Tracks

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Music exists and continues to exist because it draws people together. So the next time you’re learning a new tune or excited to have a solid jam with your friends, never forget your phone or iPad.

Song Rythm Tracks by Alive Drumming offers a streamlined and easy-to-use solution for your needs to get that perfect rhythm. Take what Alive Drumming’s clients say about the app and contact them if you need help.

By Jude Young, a contributing author.

How to Promote Literacy Through Music

September 24, 2020

Enjoy this article from contributor, Jude Young, about the great value of rhythmic training in the young.

Maria Kay has highlighted the integrated relationship between literacy and music in the earlier years and has suggested a few simple activities that will assist you in developing children’s skills.

Usha Goswami, a professor from Cambridge specialising in cognitive-developmental neuroscience, discovered that perceiving rhythm is important in association with literacy. She has dedicated her time and research specifically to do with children that are dyslexic.

In 2012, these findings were presented on BBC Four’s ‘Growing Children’. In this programme, she highlighted why rhythmic-language activities are important in preschool for supporting language development. These typically include songs, nursery rhymes, language games, clapping, stepping, large motor movements, and action rhymes.

Syllables And Rhythm: Great Assistants for Learning Language

Words are broken down into syllables, explained as “chunks of sound”. For instance, a word like “ex-am-ple” consists of 3 syllables. Being able to break words down using this method is one of the important skills children use to break up a word in a simple unit when spelling or reading.

The rhythm in songs also reveals syllables in all the lyrics. Here is an example of a rhyme, “Can You Hear the Falling Rain”, and you will notice how syllables in each word are given a note. For example, “fal-ling”, maybe a single word but contains 2 syllables. It is also sung on 2 notes.

Audio Specialist from Direct Appliance Rentals, Karina Wolfin says, “Assisting young children to recognise syllables by pointing them out in music happens to be an effective technique to help children break down a word. By adding in movements to point out the syllables provides even further emphasis. For this reason, playing instruments, dancing, clapping, and marching assists with embedding essential literacy skills.”

Musical Activities: Making Learning More Enjoyable

Here is an example of a music activity:

Can You Hear The Falling Rain?
Can you hear the falling rain?
Listen here it comes again.
Down the river, down the lane,
Tapping on the windowpane.

To highlight the rhythm in the song use sticks (claves), tap a drum, or clap hands. When using an instrument like a drum you can change the sounds for the falling rain, flowing down the road, a window, or river.

This is a simple rhyme that you can also use to discuss rain and the sounds that it makes on different surfaces or flowing into a river. You could also compare these sounds to water that comes out of a tap or the waves that crash onto the beach.

Syllable Activities

Here is an example of one of the activities used to identify syllables:

Holding a drum, give the children a beater, giving each child a turn. Ask each child a different question. For example, “What did you eat for breakfast?” Each child must reply by beating out syllables on your drum while they speak. One example of an answer would be “ce-re-al”, 3 beats (syllables), jam and toast, 3 beats (syllables).

Children that do not know how to tap rhythms, often have difficulties with spelling. Even older kids often benefit from using a tapping technique to tap out rhythms present in words. This method breaks the words into more manageable and smaller units making it easier to spell and read. Being able to pay attention to sounds in words is very important to become proficient in literacy.

———- Jude Young, contributing author to Alive Drumming.

Appreciate your songs more with Song Rhythm Tracks!

Whether you are learning a new tune, jamming, gigging or cutting your latest album, these tracks are what you need!