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Views from the Choir Loft

Taka… What?

Lucas Tappan · October 13, 2015

LMT Note Chart ODAY I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE briefly about the final of three goals I have for my probationers during our first month of rehearsals, teaching rhythm.

It is easy to teach a child what a quarter note is and that it receives 1 beat, and even how to clap four quarter notes in a measure. The same generally goes for half notes and whole notes. However, I have found that the trouble with reading rhythms began when I asked probationers to clap any kind of syncopation. I tried teaching new students to read rhythms using the traditional counting of the beat method (1, 2, 3, 4), but students struggled with the concept that in music the beat began at 1, not zero, which meant that a note that received one-and-a-half beats ended on the “and” of two, instead of one. They also struggled to speak the beat while clapping rhythms that didn’t even fall on the beat (they wanted to clap on every beat as well as where the rhythm dictated).

Some time ago, I switched to teaching Kodaly based rhythm syllables, which worked well up to a point. This year, with the help of our new music teacher, we switched to Takadimi (click here for a clear and succinct guide to Takadimi), which has been working incredibly well. Takadimi allows the child to focus entirely on speaking the rhythm he is clapping, instead of doing two things at once (speaking the beat on top of clapping the rhythm). Later on, once children have achieved rhythmic fluency, it it much easier to teach them to speak the beat at the same time as clapping the rhythm. Kids love this, too!

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Lucas Tappan

Dr. Lucas Tappan is a conductor and organist whose specialty is working with children. He lives in Kansas with his wife and four children.—(Read full biography).

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    Simplified Antiphons • “Candlemas”
    Anyone who desires simplified antiphons (“psalm tone versions”) for 2 February, the Feast of the Purification—which is also known as “Candlemas” or the Feast of the Presentation—may freely download them. The texts of the antiphons are quite beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Tempo?? • 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘞𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦
    Once, after Mass, my pastor said he really loved the hymn we did. I said: “Father, that's Holy God, We Praise Thy Name—you never heard it before?” He replied: “But the way you did it was terrific. For once, it didn't sound like a funeral dirge!” Last Sunday, our volunteer choir sang that hymn. I think the tempo was just about right … but what do you think?
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Don’t You Agree About These?
    If you want to make Jeff Ostrowski really happy, send him an email with effusive praise about the individual voice recordings for hymn #296. [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass] They came out dazzlingly sensational, don't you agree?
    —Jeff Ostrowski

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The Council of Trent taught: “In this divine sacrifice which takes place at Mass, the same Christ is present and is immolated in an unbloody manner, Who once on the Cross offered Himself in a bloody manner. For the victim is one and the same, now offering through the ministry of priests, Who then offered Himself on the Cross; only the manner of offering is different” (Session XXII, cap. 2, Denzinger, n. 940).

— Pope Pius XII (2 November 1954)

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