Asymmetric Meters: Call and Response
Goal: To prepare 5/8, 7/8, and 8/8 improvisations with social activities.
Out of Tempo
All Levels
“Out of Tempo” exercises are not presented separately in Ear Training III and Ear Training IV improvisations. Should any exercise prove difficult performed in tempo, out of tempo versions of the materials in Ear Training III and Ear Training IV can be modeled on Ear Training I and Ear Training II approaches to out of tempo improvisations.
In Tempo
Teacher sets up a tempo, time signature, tonality, and rhythms.
Phrases can be four to thirty-two measures in length depending on the student’s ability.
Start with one note per measure and add different rhythms as students become more comfortable with the exercise. For more confident students, use non-repeating notes and rhythm patterns.
Students sing one, two, three, or four notes per measure.
Speaking, singing, playing.
Refer to the Meter Smorgasbord for ideas.
Beginning
- Teacher sets up as above and prompts, “I sing three beats, you repeat them and add two more beats.”
- Students do so.
Intermediate
- A student sets up as above and prompts, “I sing five beats, you repeat them and add two more beats.”
- Another student does so.
Advanced
- A student sets up as above, clapping the appropriate dotted quarter/quarter note combinations and prompts, “I sing three beats, student B repeats them adding two more, and student C repeats all of the previous beats, and adds two more beats.”
- The process continues until the entire class has created different combinations of five-eight, seven-eight, and eight-eight meters.