Borrowed Divisions: Landscaping
Goal: To prepare combinations of differing borrowed subdivisions of the beat (triplets in simple meter, duplets in compound meter).
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 Rhythm Patterns/Borrowed Divisions Smorgasbord for ideas.
Beginning
- Teacher sets up a steady beat and prompts, “Sing three repeating notes during my first clap and two repeating notes during my second clap keeping the claps of equal length.” Repeat four times.
- Students do so.
Intermediate
- Teacher sets up a steady beat and prompts, “Sing two repeating notes during my first clap and three repeating notes during my second clap keeping the claps of equal length.” Repeat four times.
- Students do so.
Advanced
- Teacher sets up a steady beat and prompts, “Student A sings three repeating notes during the first beat and two repeating notes during the second beat, while at the same time student B sings two repeating notes during the first beat and three repeating notes during the second beat.” Repeat four times.
- Students do so.