Have you found yourself in taiko class wondering what the teacher means when they say something like, “let’s play 4 eighth notes in forte, followed by two quarter notes in pianissimo”, or “this section is in 4/4 and than changes to 3/4”, or as Elements Advanced class sometimes gets from me, “OK, let's play 4 groups of 5, then 4 of 7, 4 of 9, 4 of 11… the eighth note is the common denominator”?
Come again? If you find yourself confused by terminology such as this - and other theoretical jargon - then how about joining up for the ATA Theory Workshop, let by Taikoz Artistic Director Ian Cleworth.
The workshop is aimed at people with no experience of Western music theory to those with a basic working knowledge.
At the workshop, we'll look at rhythm only (not melody and harmony) and cover the following areas:
A basic how-to guide in reading Western staff notation
Tempo
Simple & compound meters
Complex (odd) meters
Time signatures
Sub-division of the beat
Syncopation
Accents
Cross-rhythm & an introduction to simple polyrhythms
We'll put some of what we'll learn into action with some stepping & clapping, kuchishoga (Japanese rhythm syllables) & a little taiko playing.
What to bring: Bachi and Brain