66. "RE: I knew this was coming..." In response to In response to 7
>>There's SO much that can be written about flow, >>multi-syllable rhymes, the different rhythmic aspects of >>various rhyming schools etc. > > >I can write out a Billie Holiday phrase or ad lib on sheet >music. Can you write out a Hip-Hop rappers phrasing? There's >no NOTES there. That's what I'm saying. >
Notice the LACK of notation as to what key the song is in to the left of the staff. The notes represent different parts of the drum (kick, snare, toms, etc) you are supposed to hit. You can do that with rhymes as well. I have students who actually transcribe lyrics to notation for fun. The first time I realized that you could do that was when a friend of mine drummed Biggie's 1st verse of "Dead Wrong". So yes, you CAN notate the rhyme. You can also notate scratches too. My turntable technique students go through dj sight reading book exercises every semester.
As far as samplers as instruments go....they are. I teach a sample/synth ensemble where there is a drummer, a bassist, and 5 kats with laptops and midi controllers triggering samples and god knows what else their minds gravitate towards. And yes, we deal with key signatures, chords, harmonies, etc. Last night we flipped "I Shot the Sheriff" as a Marley/EPMD tribute...the bridge was an Aretha Franklin chop in a different key. So we spent some time discussing the arrangement and how to appropriately land on that section. We could have moved the Aretha sample to the same key as the Sheriff flip, but when we tried it...it sounded REAAAALLY distorted and wack. So yeah...sampling involves the same mentality that any other instrument has.
Ultimately, what is the bottom line with all of this though?? does a music have to be able to be notated to be considered legit?? or can it just be art and stand on the merits of whether or not it touches your soul?? Because that's all teaching music is about....how to effectively communicate emotions. The harmony classes, the ear training....they're all just techniques that help that, but I don't think the validity of what is and isn't music should be defined by that.