How are signals used to define the structure in some West African music?
How are signals used to define the structure in some West African music?
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- In this lesson, we will learn the 'unison response' section of the song "Kuku". We will perform start and stop signals as the master drummer before composing our own signals. We will finish the lesson with a call and response section.
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6 Questions
Q1.
What is a rhythm?
A pattern of sounds of the same length
A regular, steady beat
Q2.
Which statement is not true?
The djembe is one of the most popular instruments from the West African music tradition
West African music varies from country to country
Q3.
Tone, bass and slap are all different strokes you play on a djembe. What is a flam?
Two strokes played almost simultaneously with an 'accent' on the first note
Two strokes played at the same time
Q4.
What is the oral tradition ?
The name of a traditional djembe song
The sheet music used to learn songs from West Africa
Q5.
What is the role of the master drummer?
The player who gets the biggest drum
The player who organises the group performances and arranges the music
Q6.
The start signal in 'Kuku' is
'Let's play djembe, let's play djembe'
'Play the djembe and shout Africa!'
5 Questions
Q1.
An ostinato is
A fast drum pattern
An improvised phrase that repeats
Q2.
The main functions of the start signal are
To make sure the audience knows who the master drummer is and to make sure everyone starts at the same time
To show the audience who the master drummer is
Q3.
When you hear the stop signal
You should prepare to play the 'unison response'
You should stop and wait to play the 'unison response'
Q4.
When composing a call and response section
The response should be complicated
The response should be the same as the call
Q5.
When composing a star and stop signal
They should be improvised and should change each time
They should be the same rhythm