Syncopation: Feel the Beat

Instrumental Activity

Explore Percussion Instruments

• Listen to "Down by the River." Use a percussion instrument or sturdy nearby object to play the syncopated blues rhythm as you listen.
• Gradually improvise variations. Listen to different musical parts, such as the drums or keyboard solo (at 1:33), to get ideas for variations.

Melodic Instrument Activities

• Listen to the G minor pentatonic scale (also called the la pentatonic) and play along with the pitches.

Tune Your Guitar

• After listening to the scale several times, practice creating melodies by playing the notes in different sequences.

Improvise Melodies

• Use notes from the G minor pentatonic scale to play responses to the vocals (at 0:45) and the keyboard solo (at 1:09) as you listen to "Down by the River": call only.
• From 1:09 to 1:33, try to mimic the keyboard solo exactly, using your ear to find the pitches. Then create variations.
• When you are comfortable improvising, play "Down by the River": response only and improvise from 0:45 until the end of the song. Leave space for the organ melodies to answer your calls with a response.

Bending the Blues

• Notice that the last pitch of the first line (at the end of the word "river") is not in the G minor pentatonic scale. It is a D, which is the flat 5th of the key. This pitch is sometimes called the "tritone" because it is a tritone away from the tonic pitch. This "extra" note can create a very bluesy sound, particularly when bending toward or away from it. Blues music is often very mictrotonal, meaning that performers bend pitches less than a half step for expressive effect.
• Practice playing notes of the G minor pentatonic scale but bend the notes, if possible, on your instrument. For example, try expressively bending the C up to a D, or the F up to a G.
• Then incorporate interesting bends as you improvise along with either "Down by the River": response only or "Down by the River": call only.
• On your worksheet, complete the Performance Activity section.
• Optional: Play your chosen audio file and perform your melody for others.

Advanced Instrumental Activity

• Listen again to "Down by the River": call only. Pay attention to the syncopated solo ideas at 1:33. Hear how eighth notes are often grouped into three-note patterns. This is an effective way to create syncopation, as the three-note pattern becomes pleasingly "out-of-sync" with the 4/4 feel of the song.

• Create three-note syncopated patterns as you improvise along with either "Down by the River": response only or "Down by the River": call only.
  

Web Links Extension

Go to the Web Links Extension to expand your understanding of syncopated blues rhythms and blues musicians.

You can now choose another Performance Activity.