All about rhythm

What is Rhythm?

In this post and with the following posts, I will attempt to explain the very basics of rhythm and how important it is to music. It is very important that students and parents understand this element as it forms the very backbone of how music is created and how rhythm makes music more interesting. We will start at the very beginning and work

on it step by step along the way. We will also look into some history of the early beginnings of rhythm and the instruments used. Some posts will also have a little quiz at the end. See if you can figure it out.

To begin with, other than the melody, rhythm is one of the most basic important parts of music. Rhythm is just the timing of notes or sounds that are made. Hmm, that sounds simple enough. If you look around you, you will be able to notice that, rhythm happens almost always in our life.

Many early forms of music were made up of only the sound of beating of drums, sticks or anything that will make a sound even clapping of hands.

Early tribal people would beat on drums for many reasons. In Africa, the drum is used to communicate across distances, something like the way we use our phone today.

This beating of drums was also an important part of a performance carried out in religious and community rituals like in a funeral or marriage ceremony.

In western America, the native Indians used drums and chants (a kind of singing with not much musical form) to bring the rain!

In China, red drums have always been a symbol of the power of the ruler and the destiny of the army. Drums are brought out whenever there were ceremonies or festivities. Weddings and funerals and all ceremonial occasions demand the insistent beat of drums. The two oldest drums found in China came from the Zia dynasty, the first dynasty of China, approximately 4,000 years ago. They were found near the Yellow River at a place called Taosi.

One of the drums is a meter high and made of a hollow tree trunk. In its day, it had a skin across the upper opening and was painted red, as drums of China often continue to be. According to ancient writings, human blood was rubbed into drums for magical purposes, but the colouring on this ancient drum came from another source.

The other drum from Taosi is made of clay. A pot used as a drum was also quite common in ancient times.

Assignment:

Can you look around your house and find out what are the things that you have, that can make drum sounds?