“Guiro Elaborations” Working with the granularity of rhythm: a pattern comprising only groups of one and two pulses
In this website there are a number of exercises and suggestions for working with rhythmic skills: reading, two-hand coordination, memory, notation, creative application, etc. This particular sequence of exercises takes its point of departure from a one-page composition by Peter Garland (below) that I found in a volume of “Soundings,” a publication of contemporary pieces launched in the 70s. The very limited variety of materials in his ‘Guiro/clapping music’ makes it ideal for formulating many varied exercises with diverse musical styles. I often used this page of material in university musicianship and improvisation classes for discussing and practicing issues of sight reading and for working with creative elaborations of simple materials.
The Soundcloud track shown below is the audio track for the 12 pages of annotated notation which follow. These pages highlight some issues of standard music notation concerned with grouping (beaming, slurs, articulation, pitch substitution, textural change, etc.) as well as issues concerned with musical creativity.
A scrolling score with audio is available on Youtube at
https://youtu.be/bmJi2LtCqRI
With the kind permission of the composer, Peter Garland. Several of his albums can be heard on Spotify.
The materials inspired by this Guiro music are developed very gradually, annotated with careful descriptions of the small changes being made in the music as well as in the notation. Since the primary function of these materials is pedagogical, I have intentionally slowed down its elaboration into more musically interesting variations, and I have written a lot of explanatory text. In any case, the careful notation is not necessarily intended as an invitation to learn to play it all but simply to get some ideas for your own creative work.
to be finished by you, that is …