Rhythm / Transformations / Footsies / Where




Oh, Where, Oh, Where

5. Something a little more complicated,Oh, Where, Oh, Where.

Oh,where, Oh,whereis mylit-tle doggone?
Oh,where, Oh,wherecan hebe?

The first step

(a) At the smallest level (beating all the shortest notes), the feet will beat quite fast.
     Remember that you do not know if this smallest level is binary or ternary.
          Try binary first, listen to the words, and if it feels uncomfortable, try ternary.
     On the very first note,
          start onR,L, or possiblyT, and see if you end onR.

Once you have found on which foot to start, check by looking at theAnimation
     as you see, this level starts onT.
This is a ternary level and
     you will have the feeling of Beats and Off-beats at this smallest level.
Repeat it several times to get this feeling into the feet.
     Notice how the Melody and the Words fit with the feet.
     Notice that, on the second, seventh, ninth, and eleventh notes,
          there were two beats, and
               on the last note there were four beats.
          These notes are proportionally longer than the others.
     Notice also that, on these longer notes,
          the feet wereR-L, orR-L-T-R, as they should be in a subdivision.

Since this level started onT(an Off-beat),
     it will produce a pick-up of 1 note at the next larger level.

The second step

(b) At the next larger level, the feet will beat three times as slowly.
     There will be a pick-up of 1 note. Do not start beating too soon.
     As you sing the melody, on the second note,
          start on eitherR,L, or possiblyTand see if you end onR.
               Remember that the level might be binary or ternary.

Once you have found on which foot to start, check by looking at theAnimation
     as you see, this level starts onR.
This is a binary level, and
     you will have the feeling of Beats and Off-beats at this next larger level.
Repeat it several times to get this feeling into the feet.
          Notice how the Melody and the Words fit with the feet.
Since this level started onR, it will not produce an additional pick-up.
     There will be only the original 1-note pick-up.

The third step

(c) At the next larger level, the feet will beat twice as slowly, with a 1-note pick-up.
     As you sing the melody, on the second note,
          start on eitherR,L, or possiblyTand see if you end onR.
               Remember that the level might be binary or ternary.

Once you have found on which foot to start,
     check by looking at theAnimation
     as you see, this level starts onL.
This is a binary level and
     you will have the feeling of Beats and Off-beats at this larger level.
Repeat it several times to get this feeling into the feet.
     Notice how the Melody and the Words fit with the feet.
     Notice that the longest note of the melody is
          not longer than the Beats of this level.
We have foundLevel 0,
     and there is no point in seeingLevel +1,Level +2... which are all binary.
We now know that the smaller levels were what we callLevel -3-2andLevel -1,
     because a ternary level occupies the space of 2 binary levels.
  

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Those browsing should watch this one,Happy Birthday.


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