Asia Education Foundation

TaikOz - Australia-Japan Taiko Drumming Fusion

cover image: Music Unit: TaikOz – Australia-Japan Taiko Drumming Fusion

In this unit students will explore the music of TaikOz, an Australian group formed in 1997. They will learn how taiko drumming pieces are created and analyse the movements used in taiko drumming. Students will get the chance to make their own piece of music, drawing on elements of the taiko drumming style, and look at the techniques used by other taiko composers.

 


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Activities 3-4

Activity 3

The Japanese have their own traditional method of notating rhythms. Resource sheet 9 gives an example of bars 30-38 of Ota-i-ko. Have students analyse this and discover for themselves how the Japanese notation can be transcribed into western notation.

  1. Students can juxtapose or layer the rhythms one over the other as used in Ota-i-ko and notated on Resource sheet 8.
  2. Create a longer piece for three drums using the rhythms created by the students.
  3. When learning taiko rhythm patterns the musicians traditionally use nonsense syllables to reinforce the rhythms and help them commit them to memory. On Resource sheet 9 the Japanese symbols are given, but a 'Western' translation of the syllables is also written underneath. Using the legend, have students practise saying the rhythms using the nonsense syllables. Hint - the rests also have syllables.
  4. Discuss with students why they think different music notation systems exist and why it is important to have systems for notating music.

Activity 4: Shifting Sands

The following activities focus on the musical features of Shifting Sands. The music concepts are those of structure, tone colour or timbre, texture and improvisation. The activities are sequential and aim to lead the student to discover how the composer constructed the piece.

  1. Watch Shifting Sands on the DVD and have students identify any new instruments used. Discuss the instrument sounds and how different colours are created.
  2. Have students read and discuss Resource sheet 5 - Program notes for Shifting Sands.
  3. Have students reread the 'When collaborating with other composers, as in Shifting Sands, how does this work?' and 'Why did you choose to include the didgeridoo?' questions on Resource sheet 1 and discuss this now that they have viewed the piece.
  4. Watch again and follow the Linear Overview - Resource sheet 6. Identify each of the sections as students are watching.
  5. In order for students to further understand the structure and the texture of Shifting Sands have them watch again and beneath each section on the linear overview graphically notate what they are hearing. Discuss the way the composer has used the instruments and combination of instruments to create interest.
  6. Have students listen to the Odaiko Trio section of Shifting Sands on the DVD. Ask them to notice the sections that are improvised. Discuss the impact of the improvised sections and how the performer ensures the improvisations relate to the piece.
  7. Now have students learn to play an excerpt of the Odaiko Trio section - Resource sheet 10 on available drums. There are three improvised sections. One technique for encouraging students to improvise without pressure in these sections is to allow them to all improvise at the same time in rehearsal and then gradually encourage them to have a go on their own starting with only 4 bars of improvising each and then working up to longer solo improvisations.
  8. Perform the excerpt and have students critically assess their performance. Encourage them to suggest ways that they could improve upon the performance and then perform again.