Jati Scales in Action / Further Teaching Ideas

Pages 7,8 and 9 of our free Box Notation Guide show you how to introduce Jati Scales into your music education sessions. Below are three inspirational videos to get your class on board. While you are watching, listen out for the relationship between parts that are spoken, and parts that are played on the drums...

You may also like to search the web for 'Bols', 'Jati' and 'Konnakol'. Each are Indian vocal rhythm systems from different regions, and have their own nuances and applications.

This first video is a great example of call and response between the voice and a drum (or two..):

A beautifully sung and impeccably performed duet. Each syllable is matched with a beat on the drum:

More of Lori Cotler and Glen Velez (These guys are inspirational!). Here, keeping it nice and simple:

You can do this activity right away. First, ask a few volunteers to keep time in the background with a shaker or drum. 

Now lead a whole class, vocal call and response song using the jati scales on our resource. Decide in advance and stick to a set measure of time for all the calls and responses. The timekeeping background of shakers and drums will help everyone stick to the same measure. 

Volunteers can also lead with their own Jati rhythms. Check out our Jerry Leake post for more rhythmical ideas using Jati scales (try introducing some of these into your call and response). And remember......  if you can say it, you can play it! 

And finally, a beautiful blend of Jati, Percussion and Dance:

Foli: Everything is Rhythm

This is a powerful 10 minute video showing rhythm in West African daily life and celebrations (Baro, Guinea). Watch and listen to some great examples of layered vocal rhythms and their corresponding rhythms played on traditional instruments. See instruments being made, children practicing with found sounds and absorbing performances.

From the video description:

Life has a rhythm, it's constantly moving.
The word for rhythm ( used by the Malinke tribes ) is FOLI.
It is a word that encompasses so much more than drumming, dancing or sound.
It's found in every part of daily life.
In this film you not only hear and feel rhythm but you see it.
It's an extraordinary blend of image and sound that
feeds the senses and reminds us all
how essential it is.

Download our FREE Teaching with Box Notation Guide.

Packed full of great ideas. The easy way to learn and teach box notation..

This link takes you to our PDF archive where you can select the documents you require.

Brain stretching music exercises from India

Jerry Leake, Associate Professor of Percussion at Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music has put together some great tutorials and videos for exploring the world of polyrhythms. Just click to access the full articles:

This is the first in a series of Jerry's videos that accompany the exercises. Don't be put off by the simplicity of the earlier parts, they quickly become more challenging and rewarding!

Free RZResource Downloads

We have recently added rhythm notation sheets for djembe and dhol to our free PDF download site. Click and see what you can start downloading today.

Downloadable PDFs for the BeatSwap programme are also available! Visit the blog to find out more about this exciting inter-school project.

Go to the RhythmZone site for links to our publications and training courses, current projects, or to invite us to work with you.

Mridanga.net for everything mridanga!

The first RZResources post! Check out our very own mridanga.net to learn about this awesome drum. Played in accompaniment to devotional vocal music (Primarily Kirtan and Bhajan in North India), the drum is traditionally made from clay and produces a hypnotic mellow sound.

Learning to play is very meditative. We teach mantras that represent the sounds of the drum. This is a traditional technique that focuses and integrates mind, speech and action.