86.
Small assignment: Super ball
Use one or more super balls to illustrate the concept of free-pulsative music and how it is notated.
Assignment author
Esa Ylivaara
Basics
Minimum time required
Goal and output
Pedagogical goal
Introduction to free-pulsative music through a practical example.
Learning how to notate a rhythm not based on a pulse.
Concrete output
Free-pulsative pieces, clapped or played on an instrument (and notated if desired).
Notated piece for super balls.
Work progress
- Drop one super ball on the floor and let it bounce.
- Analyse the rhythm it created. Clap or play the rhythm. Initially, you may use the ball as the 'conductor', i.e. having the students perform the rhythm together with the bouncing ball.
- Perform the rhythm backwards.
- Think about how this rhythm could be notated (e.g. increasingly densely spaced notes under one beam on a timeline, or beamed notes with beams fanning out).
- Try bouncing two or more balls at different speeds. Notate the rhythm generated.
- You may also collectively create and notate a piece for super balls!
Topics in the assignment
Musical structures and analysis
Playing an instrument & singing
Notation & music terminology
Arranging & parts
Music technology
Styles & techniques
Imagination & other arts
Tools
Detailed description of tools
You need one or more super balls; if there are several, they may be of different sizes.
Further assignments
Assignment suitable for further study
