Track 17 from Charanga / Saydisc / Christine Richards project - 'Listen to this' for Key Stage 3. Traditional Breton music from Amon Ra album 'Oboe Collection', performed by Robin Canter. Alternative spelling: An Dro Neves (1'39").

Main features: traditional European instruments of the oboe family, bombarde. ostinato.

This Breton piece features the bombarde (a reed instrument of medieval origin) and drum. The second half is a repeat of the first (AA structure). The Track Explorer has three learning tracks focusing on instrumentation, structure and drum ostinato.

Track 8 from Saydisc "Percussion Around the World" - notes from Maureen Hanke.

Alwan Mizan is a piece of Arabic music.The Arabian Gulf is an important geographical and trading link between the Mediterranean and the Far East. It is an area of rich demographic diversity with a commensurate variety of music.

This piece of music features the bandir, a drum which originates from the Arabic region.
The bandir is a circular snare hand drum with a goat skin covering the sides of a wooden frame.
In this piece of music the beats are grouped into 9s throughout. ( in a music session everyone could try tapping the steady beat of 9 - it is quicker than you may think). The bandir often plays the first of each group of 9.

Track 5 from Saydisc "Percussion Around the World" - notes from Maureen Hanke.

Euphoria is a piece of music from the Caribbean. It is played by a traditional steel band. Each instrument is made from a 55 gallon oil drum and is called a 'pan'. The top of the oil drum is hammered and beaten to create a concave shape and marked into sections that correspond to specific pitches. The top, when complete, is removed from the drum at a depth which will determine the instruments' over all pitch: a tenor pan, a guitar pan or a bass pan.

(In a music session listen to tracks 5 and 6 and list the similarities and differences of both pieces)

Track 7 from Saydisc "Percussion Around the World" - notes from Maureen Hanke.

'Ansam' is an example of Arabic music. The Arabian Gulf is an important geographical and trading link between the Mediterranean and the Far East. It is an area of rich demographic diversity with a commensurate variety of music.

Ansam features the darbuka and dholak.The darbuka is a type of single headed goblet-shaped drum. It is made from pottery, wood or metal and can be played either under the arm or resting on the player's knees. The base is hollow and the skin is attached by nails or glue.The darbuka originates from the Arabic region and the dholak from North India.

The piece of music opens with a solo flute. At the end of the flute statement there is a pause and the rhythm is clearly stated. The piece unfolds as an improvisation over and around the basic rhythm.
It might be helpful to think of improvisation as the equivalent of talking in language development. Improvising means making up as you play, listening to what you are playing as you go. As the piece develops, the improvisations by the darbuka and dholak become increasingly elaborate and exciting: each skin adding its own colour to the piece. As you keep listening try tapping the rhythm throughout.
Throughout the course of the piece all the instruments have a go talking over the rhythm.

( in a music session everyone could tap the basic rhythm and two people with different drums could take it in turns to improvise.)

In this recording the players start their improvisation by playing the rhythm exactly, then they gradually change parts of it; first just a beat, then a couple of notes, then half a phrase etc. This way the music has a feel of unfolding.

Track 2 from Saydisc "Percussion Around the World" (Also Track 1 from Saydisc "Listen To This! KS3) - notes from Maureen Hanke.

Amanecer Andino is a piece of Andean traditional music featuring the Bolivian pipes and the bombo drum.The bombo is the double-headed frame drum of Spain and South America.

The music is in two sections. You will hear the bombo and sticks start the piece playing a rhythm pattern that is repeated throughout the first section and can be heard just once to close the piece. A repeated pattern is called an ostinato.

Live backing sequencer to support a composition or improvisation based on Track 02 Amanecer Andino (Andean Dawn) from Saydisc Percussion Around the World. (Also Track 01 of Saydisc Listen to This! KS3.) In the original recording there's a free slow introduction followed by a faster section based on C and Am chords, but with this tool users can decide their own structure.

KS2/3 idea - students can use this tool to provide an accompaniment while one student performs live their own version of a characteristic pentatonic melody on a separate instrument. Students can also use this tool for support as they play along and learn the ostinato drum and guitar parts.

Sounds of nature, great to combine with percussion, instrumental compositions.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGEHYY8c8VM

Keywords: Rainforest, nature

Natural sounds of the rainforest. Still picture

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pmRF1Z6_8Q

Keywords: Rainforest, nature

Sing-a-long version for classroom music.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrcU514z6nM

Keywords: Rainforest, Song

Pygmy tribe of Central Africa yodelling.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWEpnHZ9XFE

Keywords
Rainforest, Baka, Singing, Tribal