jef chippewa wrote:
> depends on the time signature or beat pattern. the first examples
> have an "in 3 feel" [so 4 over 3] due to word and tone accents,
> while the second would be better for an "in 4 feel" or measure:
>
> . pAss the gO*d**(*) bUtter; whAt atrOcious wEAther . AUnt mAry
> bAkes a cAke
>
> but this, the idea of using "mathematical" to learn a 5-let [2+3],
> and the possibilities of regional and national differences in
> dialect, intonation and word accent patterns, reminds me of a story
> a prof at my old university once described to me about how one of
> his students [thought s/he learned] learned triplets. in the
> following, each number syllable has the duration of an 8th note
> [without triplet values]:
>
> one-two-three-[8th rest], one-two-three-[8th rest]...
>
> the use of word phrases may indirectly bring a new learner to bypass
> the important step of learning to feel the measure or beat pattern
> underlying the ratio.
>
[snip]
Yes, they MAY do as you say, and they MAY not work, and if the person
doing the learning absolutely refuses to use them as instructed, then
they won't work. But most likely in such instances, nothing will work
because the student isn't doing as the teacher instructs in the first place.
All the professor had to tell his student was to remove the spaces and
she would have the triplet rhythm learned, and then SHOWED her how to do
it, he would have actually taught her something about using mnemonic
devices more carefully as well as about playing the triplet rhythm.
I have a teaching schedule of around 40 private lessons a week, ranging
from complete beginners to very advanced. They all at sometime have to
learn triplets -- I don't use mnemonic devices for triplets most of the
time, but I eventually teach them that the counting for triplets should
be one-trip-let, two-trip-let, three-trip-let, four-trip-let, etc. Some
people have a difficult time learning triplets, whether we use Jef's
purely musical method of simply playing the rhythm over and over or
whether we use mnemonic devices.
Some people simply have a hard time learning rhythms, no matter what
method is used.
And others can always analyze something that works for others and tell
the world why using such a thing is stupid and worthless.
It is always possible to misuse something intentionally, by means of
showing how it shouldn't be used at all.
As for the word "mathematical" I have never heard it used in normal
language as a 5-syllable word, but the moment I was taught it to play a
quintuplet, making sure the E sounded, I never had a problem playing
quintuplets evenly again. I am sure there are those who sat there and
argued with their music teacher about how it was never pronounced like
that and that using it was so phony and forced as to make them sure they
would never ever be able to use it to learn to play the rhythm.
When I run into students like that, I simply suggest that they find
another teacher.
--
David H. Bailey
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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