National 5 Music

Listening Unit 3
World Music

Name:
 World Music

What do we already know?

As you listen to five different styles of music, see if you can identify where the
music is from and if any of the following concepts are featured:

Drone Plucking Castanets

Off the beat/on the Unaccompanied Fiddle
beat Accompanied Acoustic guitar
Syncopation Question and answer Xylophone
Ostinato
Tabla Piano
Cross rhythms
Sitar Panpipes
Improvisation
Bongo drums Voice
Pitch bend
Guiro Steel pan

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
Mark on the map below the 4 parts of the world we will learn about in this unit:
 Indian Music

In this unit, we will look specifically at North Indian classical music, or

Hindustani music.

The Sitar
• String instrument with frets
• Played by plucking
• 6 or 7 main strings
• 12 or more strings underneath,
resonating in sympathy
• Plays the ‘raga’

The Tabla
• A pair of small drums
• Player sits on the floor with drums in front
• Keeps the time, but also improvises solos
• Plays the ‘tala’

The drone is played by the tanpura

(or sometimes a harmonium) and
consists of a low note (or notes)
played continuously throughout.
‘Raga’ is the word used to describe the melody part in Indian music.
The word ‘raga’ also describes the pattern of notes used. There are thousands of
ragas: each one has a name and represents a different mood, season, or time of
day.

‘Tala’ is the word used to describe the rhythmic pattern played by the tabla
drums.
The drone is played by the tanpura (or sometimes a harmonium) and consists of
a low note (or notes) played continuously throughout.

*****

In pairs, use keyboards to improvise in the style of Indian music.

One person plays the drone notes given, while the other person uses the pattern
of notes given to improvise a melody.
 African Music

There are many different types of music covering the many countries in Africa,
but they have a few things in common:

• Use of voices and drums (e.g. bongo drums)

• Call and response (or question and answer)
• Accented beats
• Cross rhythms
• Ostinato
• Dance

*****

In groups of 3-5 people, create patterns to clap, stamp, or play on any percussion
instruments.
Include the following:
• Question and answer
• Cross rhythms
• Accented beats/syncopation
 Caribbean Music

In this unit, we will look at two types of music from the Caribbean Islands: Steel
Band music, and Reggae music.
 Reggae Music

What do we already know about the history and sound of Reggae music?

• Guitar plays off the beat (on beats 2 and 4)

• Keyboard uses piano/organ sound to play chords off the beat
• Drums emphasise beats 2 and 4
• Bass guitar plays a strong, steady bass line
 Steel Band Music

• Originated in Trinidad and Tobago

• Oil-producing country
• Played on steel pans, a percussion instrument made out of a hollowed-out
oil can

Copy the diagram of a steel pan drum in the box below – remember to include
labels!

• Played using rubber-ended beaters

• Playing often features rolls
• This is when one note is played repeatedly to give the effect of a long,
held note
• Features syncopation
• Can be played solo or as part of a ‘Steel Band’
 Latin American Music

How many ‘Latin American’ countries can you name?

Why is this continent called ‘Latin America’?

Latin American music is a combination of many other musical influences. These

include:

• Indigenous music
• Aztec/Inca music using percussion and flutes,
especially the pan pipes.

• Spanish and Portuguese music

• Think Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the ‘New World’
• Dancing music
• European instruments: harp, guitar, fiddle
 • African settlers in the Caribbean and parts of Brazil
• Call and response, cross rhythms, ostinato, percussion

• American music
• Jazz styles

The following percussion instruments are commonly found in Latin American

music – write the names below them!