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Foster Rhythm Calendar

ย  ย  ย  ย To Nurture and Encourage Rhythm Development 1 day at a time.

ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  ย ๐ŸŒ ๐ŸŒš Starting with the Moon Rhythms

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Here are the Night Side Rhythms of the Moon Calendar.

Unlock the full Moon Calendar by joining us today.

Learn how these rhythms are the fundamental building blocks to rhythm used in all types of music.

Night 11 ๐ŸŒ•๐ŸŒ‘๐ŸŒ•๐ŸŒ‘

This rhythm sounds like a previous one, but it’s different. The Night 2 rhythm was ๐ŸŒ•๐ŸŒ•, which is based in 2/4 time, while this one is based in 4/4 time.ย How we divide rhythms changes our perspective and relationship to them.

If this rhythm were in quarter notes, it would be called a “front beat” pattern. Check out my video “5 Basic Rhythms” for more information.

Have you noticed the patterns from Night 1?
๐ŸŒ• ๐ŸŒ– ๐ŸŒ— ๐ŸŒ˜ Just like the waning moon, the rhythm fractions are getting smaller.

We started with a 1, then moved 3/4, now weโ€™re at 1/2, and they’ll continue diminishing

๐ŸŒ‘ until we reach the new moon.

๐ŸŒ•๐ŸŒ•๐ŸŒ‘๐ŸŒ‘ Tonight’s beat takes us back into the “four world,” where we play the first two beats and rest on the last two.

Notice how this differs from Night 8, especially in the rests.

This rhythm takes me to a basketball game ๐Ÿ€ vibe, where the crowd chants with stomps: BOOM BOOM “DE-FENCE!” ๐Ÿ“ฃ๐Ÿ‘Ÿ

Moon update: We’re in the waning crescent phase ๐ŸŒ˜.

๐ŸŒ’ย Waxing = growing
๐ŸŒ–ย Waning = shrinking
๐ŸŒ”ย Gibbous > quarter
๐ŸŒ˜ย Crescent < quarter

So, the moon’s light is fading, and it’s less than half full.

Tune into this rhythm, feel its pulse, and let the cosmic dance of the moon guide your beats. Whether in the vastness of the night sky or the vibrant echo of a stadium, rhythm connects us all. ๐Ÿฅ๐ŸŒŒ

๐ŸŒ— We’re entering the Last Quarter phase of the moon, marking the final lunar week before the ๐ŸŒ‘ New Moon.

Even though it looks like half a moon, this phase is termed a “quarter” because of the four primary moon phases: ๐ŸŒ‘ New (Resting), ๐ŸŒ“ First Quarter, ๐ŸŒ• Full, and ๐ŸŒ— Last Quarter.

This rhythm when itโ€™s based in 8th note triplets, is known as a shuffle rhythm. You’ve likely have heard it music genres such as Jazz, Blues, Swing, early Rock and Roll, Western Swing, R&B, Reggae, Pop, and even Classical and nursery rhymes. Itโ€™s second in popularity of the 3 world patterns only to the rhythm of Night 3 ๐ŸŒ•๐ŸŒ•๐ŸŒ•.

Don’t forget you can adjust the playback speed of the video by clicking on the โš™๏ธ settings icon.

Catch the morning moon before it sets! Visit https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/ to find out when it’s visible.

 

๐ŸŒ• ๐ŸŒ• ๐ŸŒ‘ We’re drumming back into the “3 world,” ending our sequence with a rest this time.

๐Ÿค˜๐ŸŽธ This rhythm might be a bit unfamiliar to those used to rock, blues, folk, pop, hip hop, country, EDM, or Reggae, as it’s more prevalent in ๐ŸŒ West African and Afro-Latin cultures.

If this pattern feels new, your instinct and the rhythmic gravity might pull you towards the more familiar swing rhythm of ๐ŸŒ•๐ŸŒ‘๐ŸŒ•. -which might be coming up soon. ๐Ÿคซ

As cultures blend and evolve ๐ŸŒโœจ, this rhythm is weaving its way into hip hop ๐ŸŽค and pop ๐ŸŽถ, so keep an ear outโ€”it’s becoming more widespread ๐Ÿ“ˆ.

Recognizing patterns, whether in lunar phases ๐ŸŒ— or musical measures ๐ŸŽต, is crucial for learning and growth ๐ŸŒฑ.

It deepens our connection to the rhythms of life and music. ๐ŸŒ๐ŸŽถ

Keep counting, keep playing, and most importantly, find joy in the rhythms that surround us. ๐Ÿฅโค๏ธ

๐ŸŒ• โžก๏ธ ๐ŸŒ— Welcome to Night 7 since the Full Moon!

While we’re still within the same lunar week, it’s interesting how our journey doesn’t align perfectly with the Gregorian week. This highlights a unique part of lunar timekeeping. ๐Ÿ“… ๐ŸŒ™

In lunar calendars, a ‘week’ can vary from 6 to 9 days, depending on the Moon’s distance to Earth. ๐ŸŒ This lunar week gives us 8 days of rhythm. ๐ŸŽต

Today, we dive into the 3rd variation of our rhythmic pattern: three notes followed by a pause. ๐ŸŽถโž– Though they may sound similar, counting is key to uncovering their differences. ๐Ÿ”๐ŸŽผ

Let’s embrace the subtleties, keep the rhythm alive and let the moon guide our beats! ๐ŸŒ”๐Ÿฅ

 

๐ŸŒŸ One form of rhythmic intelligence is hearing the same rhythms from different angles. ๐ŸŽต

Yesterday’s and today’s rhythms might seem alike, but there’s a twist! Both have 3 beats followed by a rest, but today, we have a pause on beat 3, not 4. ๐Ÿ›‘

That’s where counting shines! ๐Ÿค“โœจ It helps us grasp the true pattern, even when our minds want to stick to the familiar.

Enter what I call “rhythmic gravity” ๐ŸŒŒ – it’s like a force that pulls our perception towards what we’re used to. If your brain expects a 1-2-3 rhythm but the beat is really starting on 4 (like 4-1-2), without counting, you might not catch the shift. ๐Ÿ”„

Counting might feel like a chore at first, but trust me, it’s worth it! ๐Ÿ’ช It’ll soon become second nature, letting you dive deeper into the rhythm. Exploring new beats, even the unfamiliar ones, is key to honing your rhythmic skills. ๐Ÿš€

And a cool tip: Want to play the tracks faster? Just hit the โš™๏ธ settings icon on the video player! ๐ŸŽถโฉ

Keep grooving, and let the rhythm lead the way! ๐Ÿฅ๐ŸŒœ

 

Today, we’re adding our first pause in the rhythm. A moment of silence at the end of the measure.

The moon wanes ๐ŸŒ– and its shadow expands, you’ll find that our rhythm today mirrors this lunar phase.

As we approach the new moon ๐ŸŒ‘, or what I like to refer to as the ‘resting moon,’ our moments of rest will increase.

We’re still in the realm of 4/4 time. Play the first three beats, then rest ๐Ÿ›‘ on the fourth.

Try counting out loud ๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ while you play, and then shift to counting in your mind ๐Ÿ’ญ.

The most common time signature in music is….
4/4. That’s why it’s also called common time.
4 Quarter notes per measure.

Four is important not only with 4 beats to a measure but also 4 bar phrases.
It’s very common to have changes of music after groups of 4, 8, or 16 measures.

Here’s a playlist of 4 songs in different genres to bucket drum along with that are in 4/4 time. Count to 4 and listen how it aligns with the music.

Also, the concept of 4 world connects to the 4 phases of the moon.

  1. ๐ŸŒ‘ New Moon
  2. ๐ŸŒ“ First Quarter
  3. ๐ŸŒ• Full Moon (100% lit)
  4. ๐ŸŒ— Last Quarter

https://vimeo.com/917384266?share=copy

Rock – “We will rock you” Queen

Pop – “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake

Jazz – “Feeling Good” by Michael Bublรฉ

Latin – “Havana” by Camila

We divide music into notes and measures so we can understand it better.
Whether itโ€™s 3/4, 6/8, 9/8, or 12/8 time signature,
1/4, 8th, or 16th note tripletsโ€ฆ
These all based on the concept of โ€œ3 worldโ€.

This is the 3rd day since the full moon and the rhythm mirrors this with 3 beats.

Three is odd. ๐Ÿฅด So when we play drums with 2 hands they alternate every other time.
Right, left, rightโ€ฆ.Left, Right, left.
Count 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, and play along to todayโ€™s rhythm of the moon cycle.

The moon’s phases can be simplified into three stages:
1. Waxing (the moonโ€™s light grows)
2. Full Moon (100% lit)
3. Waning (the light decreases)

We started with the full moon and now itโ€™s waning.
Can you see the shadow that started creeping in?


Hereโ€™s the 2nd Rhythm after the ๐ŸŒ Full Moon. It sounds the same but instead of the counting to 1 weโ€™ll add 2.

This adds another dimension.
1 being the Front Beat. 2 being the Back Beat.

1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2,

Count and tap along to this video with the moon from Last night.

And can you predict tomorrowโ€™s rhythm?

Remember, understanding the importance of each rhythm will become clear as we progress through the 30-day Moon cycle.

442 years ago on 224 the Gregorian Calendar (commonly used in Western Countries) was introduced.

224 (Feb. 24th 2024) was the introduction of the Foster Rhythm Calendar.
Itโ€™s based on the natural cycles of the Sun, Earth and the Moon. As the sun set the Full Moon rose above the horizon.

The Rhythm of the day for the full moon is a Down Beat.

Itโ€™s the most fundamental rhythm and itโ€™s the frame of reference for almost all other rhythms.

If we were to count it in its most basic form, It would be 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1โ€ฆ

Itโ€™s the pulse.

* TEACHER NOTES

Play first time through with 1 hand. Donโ€™t tell students which hand but ask them which hand did they end up using. Same as their dominant hand? Then, try 2 hands alternating. Right, left, right, left.

Ask which beat number the drum stops playing? You can only know if youโ€™re counting. Count out loud then count internally.

Go through the video several times asking if they notice anything different about the sounds? how does the group play together. Ask, “are we slowing down or speeding up or consistent the whole time?”

“Notice anything different with the moon or video as you go through?”

๐Ÿ™Œ celebrate with a moon howl HOOOOOOOooooooowl.

Even more advanced, how many measures from each day.

Day 1: how many beats In total?

Day 2: how many groups of 2?

Day 3: how many groups of 3?

Day 4: how many measures of 4 beats?

Listen without playing so they can figure out when the beat stops.

โš™๏ธ Hit the gear icon at the bottom of the video to speed up the video.

Hope this helps!

Send questions or comments to hello@bucketdrumming.net

๐Ÿ’ฌ