Our First Composition Project: Ostinatos, Polyrhythms, and Drums

Ostinato: A repeating musical pattern Polyrhythm: two or more different rhythms performed at the same time

Last week our students discovered that most popular songs are built on repeating patterns called ostinatos. To prove this we listened to and analyzed randomly selected popular songs using SiriusXM satellite radio. We listened to pop, rock, country, r&b, and rap songs. Students were able to identify ostinatos in every song they heard, from the drums and bass lines to keyboards and vocal parts. We were also able to make connections to other vocabulary terms and musical elements while listening and analyzing, citing the specific tempo of each song, specific instrumentation and rhythms of different parts, and examples of polyrhythm created by the overlapping of different rhythmic patterns. OBJECTIVE: I can compose and perform a short polyrhythmic piece in an ensemble setting using tubanos and at least two different ostinatos, maintaining a steady beat, with 80% accuracy or better. After the listening and analysis activity, two students in each class were asked to volunteer to perform in an ensemble with me to demonstrate the composition process. 1. I began played a short pattern on my drum. 2. The next student listened to my pattern for a moment, then created a different short pattern of his/her own. This pattern was played along with mine on the same beat, creating a polyrhythm. 3. The third student was given the option of either creating and playing a third ostinato or doubling one of the other two patterns. (Most chose to create a new pattern.) The video below shows students developing and practicing their compositions in their collaborative groups, then performing them in front of the class.

#drums #composition