Using rhythmic ostinati in minimalism
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create rhythmic ostinati on percussion instruments.
Key learning points
- Minimalism is a style of music that developed in the 1960s in the USA.
- It uses minimal musical ideas and repeats them over and over again.
- The repeating musical ideas are called ostinati (one is called an ostinato).
- Percussion instruments produce sound by being hit and can be tuned or untuned.
Keywords
Minimalism - Minimalism is a style of music that emerged in the 1960s in the USA, defined by its use and repetition of minimal musical ideas.
Ostinato - An ostinato (plural: ostinati) is a short musical idea that is repeated.
Percussion - A percussion instrument is one that produces a sound by being hit. These can be tuned (with pitched notes) or untuned (with no pitch).
Common misconception
Complicated rhythms will sound more interesting.
Often creating simpler rhythms is more effective. In particular, rhythms that have rests (silence) in them can create a powerful contrast between sound and silence. Try using a mix of simple and complex rhythms.
Teacher tip
Pupils may well wish to draw inspiration from rhythms that they have heard elsewhere. Encourage them to think of rhythms from their favourite music and to use those to help them create their ostinati.
Equipment
A DAW or other suitable compositional tool or instrument
Licence
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