From bell pattern to clave - the key for the groove
It is essential to understand the pulse and measure to perform a drum rhythm and join other musicians. Rhythms from West Africa and its diaspora tend to be difficult for foreign musicians. Typical questions in learning situations may include “where´s the beat?” or “where´s the one?”. Let´s have a look at some fundamental characters that can quickly disorientate a student.
Issues of pulse are central to Western rhythmic practices because of the propensity for conscious counting and naming of beats in a measure and the reliance on clear physical signals, (for instance, from a conductor), indicating placement of the downbeat. As many scholars point out, the underlying pulse in many African rhythms is sometimes so relatively insignificant, compared to the drum and bell patterns, that it is often left silent or barely acknowledged with a tapping of the foot.” (O. Fiol December, 2007)
As Orlando points out, the basic pulse is not necessarily marked by instrumentalists. Instead, they may play several syncopated and interlocking patterns atop each other and accentuate any of the subdivision bits. How to define and recognize the pulse then? Another approach is provided by David Locke, who has researched Ewe Dance drumming. In Drum Gahu, he discusses two interpretations of pulse:
In the additive perspective, notes are felt against a subjective background grid of short, equidistant "bits" of time (pulses); the duration of tones Is determined by adding together these small timing units. In the divisive perspective, emphasis Is given to the polyrhythm between sounded notes and evenly-spaced, kinesthetically and mentally marked moments In the flow of time (stresses or beats); duration Is determined by the relationship between sounded strokes and felt beats." (Locke, pp. 17-18)
In a performance situation, a participant may find the pulse in the handclaps of the audience or the dancer’s steps or even the musician’s body movements. If these elements are not present, and even if they are, the musician will need a more solid reference to join the music. Orlando Fiol points out that: “West African traditional ensembles are usually organized around a timeline pattern, often played on a bell, by rattles or shakers or clapped.” Recognizing such a pattern is the first step towards understanding the rhythm, so let´s take a closer look at what to search for.
As is well known, many West and Central African dances feature a prominently articulated, recurring rhythmic pattern that serves as an identifying feature or signature of the particular dance/drumming. These patterns are known by different names: time line, bell pattern, phrasing referent, and so on. I prefer to call them topoi, commonplaces rich in associative meaning for cultural insiders. A topos is a short, distinct, and often memorable rhythmic figure of modest duration (about a metric length or a single cycle), usually played by the bell or high-pitched instrument in the ensemble, and serves as a point of temporal reference. It is held as an ostinato throughout the dance-composition. Although topoi originated in specific communities as parts of specific dances, they have by now moved from their communities of origin into a centralized, multiethnic, or detribalized space.” (Agawu K., Chapter 4, p. 73)
What I find particularly interesting regarding my project is that according to Agawu the topoi have moved from their communities into multiethnic space. I would like to add that this is not only on the level of Africa, but artists abroad that use the topoi for inspiration or compose music that´s based on them, clearly make them move to the global scale.
I propose that a rhythmic pattern could be described as a wave, with a crest and a base. A short wave may last for a single bar or a long wave several bars. The pattern can also be a combination of these, consisting of several waves appearing simultaneously. The wave crest is not necessarily aligned with the first beat, but the pulse may relate to this rhythmic wave in several ways. This image combined with embodied understanding may help to approach a rhythm like many African players do, without the need for counting. Typically my West African percussionist colleagues start their phrases on whatever part of the “wave” they find appropriate. If you understand how the wave rolls you can surf it the way you like.