Rhythm
Rhythm is beat. We all love jigging to the rhythm. Let’s explore rhymth with percussive sounds in Music Lab.
Electricity by OMD
“Electricity” is the 1979 debut single by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (aka OMD).
Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys sing the lead vocals on the track together in unison - this means they sing the same notes at the same time.
Recognised as one of the most influential singles of its era, “Electricity” was integral to the rise of the UK’s synth-pop movement. It has garnered praise from music journalists and other recording artists. A sung chorus is substituted for a melodic synthesizer break.
Compose and perform rhythms using music technology
Open Open Rhythm and see the different percussion instruments.
Timpani
How many beats?
Six
Drum Kit
How many beats?
Eight
Woodblocks
How many beats?
Ten
Congas
How many beats?
Twelve
Try out some patterns
Make patterns that use factors of the number of beats. Here is an example on the 8 beats for the drum kit.
Does a good looking pattern make a rhythm that sounds good?
Record your best rhythm
Use a whiteboard to jot down your best rhythm so that you can input it on another computer.
Perform your rhythm
Play your rhythm while a friend listens.
- Do they like it?
- Can they clap along?
- Can they clap one part and you clap another?
Can you change your rhythm in a systematic way while it plays?
Regular repeating patterns make good rhythms but they can get boring. If you add or subtract a beat at a particular place on alternating repeats, it might sound more interesting.