Mrs. Shaffer’s Class

Rhythm and Style

Syncopation: the accent on the weak beat

Complicated rhythmsImprovisation: Make it up as you

go

Polyrhythmic: many groups play different rhythms

Call/Response: Leader calls out and group responds

African Dance• Dance at funerals to express grief• They use body percussion to make music as

they dance• Dance on stage at concerts to show

appreciation for musicians

Musical Practices and Culture

• Stories are passed down through African music, and they usually teach a lesson

• Most African music uses improvisation• There is not written music; all of it is

learned by ear• Music is used to record historical

events.

INSTRUMENTS

• Africans use drums in music• Africans use rattles• Africans use body-percussion• They use horns that have been cut out as

instruments• They use gyils. A gyil is and instrument that is

made of wood and animal skin to hold it together.

African Music Today

Many urban Africans ride busses, drive cars, and work in offices or factories. They mix traditional African music with American music. They put American instruments with African instruments.