The TDE is in the initial stages of the next experiment: Dishwasher soap!
Actually, this experiment has been casually happening for quite some time now. However, I will now formalize it and do an official experiment to confirm the results. Today I'll take you through my initial planning for this experiment.
Step 1: Identify the phenomenon.
This is just noticing things around you and asking questions. It can come from personal experiences or from what you hear from others. In the dishwasher soap case, I read somewhere a while back that often people think that their dishwasher is underperforming, but simply changing to a better soap can help. This article stated that dishwasher soap has a much larger effect on results than the dishwasher itself. So, I want to test that idea.
Step 2: Define the problem/question. (Hypothesis)
In grade school I was taught that the first thing you do in an experiment is create your hypothesis and that this is your "guess" of what will happen. We were told that you have to state which conclusion you expect to happen. Wikipedia states that a Hypothesis is a "proposed explanation for a phenomenon" and that "For a hypothesis to be a scientific hypothesis, the scientific method requires that one can test it."
I think many school teachers get it a bit wrong. I remember being told that my hypothesis has to state what I think the outcome will be, very specifically. For my dishwasher soap example, the teacher may have given an example of "Dishwasher soap A will give the best results." To me, this is just setting yourself up for confirmation bias issues in your experiment. Everyone likes to be right. A better hypothesis is "Dishwasher soap type has an effect on cleanliness of dishes after washing in an automatic dishwasher." I'm pretty sure my teachers in elementary and secondary school would have rejected this hypothesis, but I also think my science peers would agree with me on this being the better hypothesis. Ultimately I do want to know which soap is best, but my initial assumption to test is that the soap type has a significant effect on dish cleanliness. If results of this initial experiment show that Dishwasher Soap A appears to be best, then that could be a hypothesis of a future more detailed experiment.
In "real" science you don't really ever write a hypothesis anyway. You write a grant proposal instead.
Step 3: Investigate the previous research
Look for other articles and papers that have been previously written on the topic or related topics. Maybe someone has already answered your question. If not, previous research will help guide you. In my case, I looked up dishwasher soap results on Consumer Reports Online. I'd love to post a screen shot of the ratings, but I'm assuming that's frowned upon. This previous research helped me narrow my list of soaps to test and gave me ideas of what to collect as results.
Step 4: Decide what/how to measure
My hypothesis states that soap type will have an effect on cleanliness of my dishes. How am I going to measure cleanliness of dishes? There are many ways I could define cleanliness of dishes. Using my personal life experiences and the previous research I have decided to define cleanliness based on 2 common post-wash issues that I find to be annoying and make me feel that my dishes didn't get clean. I will measure:
1) Number of bits of food remaining (or re-stuck) on dishes after washing
2) Shininess of silverware after washing
How I will measure these:
1) Count bits of food found when unloading the dishwasher.
2) This is trickier. I wish I had a gloss meter! Instead I will attempt to accurately rate 2 factors of shininess: 2a) Overall shininess of each piece as either shiny (3), dull (1), or in-between (2) and report this as an average numerical rating (1-3 scale) for each load and 2b) % coverage of water spots or other dullness for each piece and report this as an overall average % (0-100 scale) for the load.
Step 5: Variables
Define dependent variables (dish cleanliness based on food bits and shininess in this case) and independent variables. There are many other possible independent variables:
-Water temperature
-Water pressure
-Wash cycle type
-Amount of soap used
-Pre-washing conditions, if any
-Food type on dirty dishes
-Length of time food has been on dirty dishes
I'm sure there are more as well as additional dependent variables that I did not mention.
Step 6: Understand your limitations, and do what you can to overcome them.
Thankfully, many of the possible variables are controlled by the dishwasher itself. Some of them, like amount of soap, are rather easy to control. Others such as food type are harder to control. However, one of the reasons I want to look specifically at silverware is that my experience tells me that peanut butter often ends up caked onto silverware if not properly removed before the wash. We eat a lot of peanut butter and ideally I'd be able to put silverware in the dishwasher without pre-washing. So, I will be sure to include a few pieces of peanut butter covered silverware in every load, without pre-washing it.
Another limitation in my case is number of test runs. I have small amounts of multiple types of soap right now. I will not be spending the money to buy new containers of soap just for this experiment. So, in some cases I may only be able to do one load per soap type. I will do as many iterations of each soap type as possible, targeting a minimum of n=3 and an ideal of n=5.
Next up, the actual DOE plan. But, I think I'll leave that for next time. There will be spreadsheets and screenshots and controls oh my! This will also give me time to brainstorm additional variables to consider. Feel free to join my brainstorm; leave your suggestions in the comments!
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
The TDE's Guide to Making
AKA: The Kinesthetic Learner's guide to DIY
I am a kinesthetic learner. That means I learn by DOing. If I can't jump in and do it myself, then let me watch you DO it. If I have to use written instructions then there better be good photos or I'll just stop reading them and figure it out on my own. Don't bother giving me oral instructions, I stopped listening after your first sentence and I'm already 3 steps ahead of you. Sure, I might have done one of those 3 steps incorrectly, but I'll figure that out eventually and then I'll figure out how to fix it.
I enjoy DIY projects. I imagine this is a common trait of kinesthetic learners. We like DOing things and the D in DIY is DO. Perfect. I find that if I have solid instructions I will generally follow them. Generally. I tend to add little embellishments to just about everything. Example: Simple A-line skirt. This is one of the easiest pieces of clothing to make. When I made one, I decided to add a lining (so it was like making two skirts and then making them fit together) AND add pockets.*
*Seriously, why don't skirts have pockets? Get with it clothing industry!
What I enjoy even more than a basic follow-the-instructions-DIY project is the DYI-maker-invention projects. These are the things that are unique to your situation. You wont find how-to pages online for these issues. There is no pre-determined solution. These projects appeal to just about every aspect of my brain. I get to be creative and I get to engineer. And, because the solution doesn't yet exist, I have to figure it out for myself. Because I learn by doing, I tend to figure out the solution by just jumping in and DOing it. For non-kinesthetic learners that last sentence probably doesn't make much sense. I generally approach this in a seemingly chaotic, but actually rather systematic way. Today's post is my guide to how I do this.
Today's post was inspired by a pair of slippers. They are basic slip-on, no back, fleece slippers. I actually wouldn't have bought them, but the ITH convinced me that they are awesome. And, they are almost awesome. I noticed 2 problems: 1) They don't stay on well enough and 2) My heels get cold. I *could* return them, but instead I shall FIX them! yay!
And, here is where I admit that I fixed the first slipper a week ago and the whole time I was working on it I kept thinking "Stop and take pictures for the blog!" I didn't stop. I was in the zone. I was making and fixing and learning and DOing. So, I forced myself to wait to do the second slipper until after I had taken some staged pictures. These photos are included below because well... read the 4th sentence of my first paragraph above.
The TDE's Guide to Making:
5 simple steps for any project
1. Ponder
2. Gather
3. Play
4. Do
5. Re-do
1) Ponder:
Think about the problem and possible solutions. I typically ponder here and there, especially in the shower, for a few days. Get some vague ideas in your head of what might work and create a mental list of the materials you will need.
2) Gather:
Get your materials and supplies. Pull together ALL the things you think you may use. Then grab some other stuff that is similar to the stuff you think you'll need. Sprawl it all out on the floor or table. I prefer the floor. Its bigger so I can have more stuff accessible.
3) Play:
Play with things. Don't do any cutting/glueing/sewing/etc. Don't physically alter your materials yet. Line them up. Hold them up. Get ideas for what might actually work. This is the best part of the process. This is when you'll get in "the zone" and will be lost to the real world for a while. You also need to be sure to consider how the object will be used when it's done. You don't want to do anything that will hinder it's intended function. The play stage often results in a few additional mini gathering sessions. Don't bother putting things away yet even if you don't plan to use them. You might need them later.
4) DO:
Take the most promising idea from your play session and start doing it. I have learned that the best starting ideas involve the least amount of permanent alteration to the main object. Pick an option that is easy to undo but still promising. Do it. Try it. Does it work?
5) Re-do:
Most likely, your initial "do" needs some tweaking. Sometimes it fails completely. Thats OK. Now you have narrowed the scope of what will or wont work. Go do something else.
Repeat steps 1-5, in any order, as needed.
Finally, clean up your maker tornado. Sometimes I find bits from a project weeks later in a place I don't even remember going while doing the project. It's all part of the process. Do your best to keep track of pins and other potentially dangerous things though. Safety first!
Because kinesthetic learners learn by doing, we love this whole process because we are engaging and learning and, most importantly, DOing. For me, when I successfully complete a maker project, I certainly feel pride because of the thing I have created. However, I feel more fulfilled by the fact that I fixed a problem. I figured out a solution. I had fun DOing it. For me, it's often more about the process than the end result.
PS: I'd love to interview the CMD (cabinet-maker-daddy) on his process for making intricate wooden boxes. Most of my maker projects are sewing related and fabric is quite a bit more forgiving than wood. Perhaps there will be a future post on this if he's willing.*
*Yes, the CMD reads my blog. Hi dad! :D
I am a kinesthetic learner. That means I learn by DOing. If I can't jump in and do it myself, then let me watch you DO it. If I have to use written instructions then there better be good photos or I'll just stop reading them and figure it out on my own. Don't bother giving me oral instructions, I stopped listening after your first sentence and I'm already 3 steps ahead of you. Sure, I might have done one of those 3 steps incorrectly, but I'll figure that out eventually and then I'll figure out how to fix it.
I enjoy DIY projects. I imagine this is a common trait of kinesthetic learners. We like DOing things and the D in DIY is DO. Perfect. I find that if I have solid instructions I will generally follow them. Generally. I tend to add little embellishments to just about everything. Example: Simple A-line skirt. This is one of the easiest pieces of clothing to make. When I made one, I decided to add a lining (so it was like making two skirts and then making them fit together) AND add pockets.*
*Seriously, why don't skirts have pockets? Get with it clothing industry!
What I enjoy even more than a basic follow-the-instructions-DIY project is the DYI-maker-invention projects. These are the things that are unique to your situation. You wont find how-to pages online for these issues. There is no pre-determined solution. These projects appeal to just about every aspect of my brain. I get to be creative and I get to engineer. And, because the solution doesn't yet exist, I have to figure it out for myself. Because I learn by doing, I tend to figure out the solution by just jumping in and DOing it. For non-kinesthetic learners that last sentence probably doesn't make much sense. I generally approach this in a seemingly chaotic, but actually rather systematic way. Today's post is my guide to how I do this.
Today's post was inspired by a pair of slippers. They are basic slip-on, no back, fleece slippers. I actually wouldn't have bought them, but the ITH convinced me that they are awesome. And, they are almost awesome. I noticed 2 problems: 1) They don't stay on well enough and 2) My heels get cold. I *could* return them, but instead I shall FIX them! yay!
And, here is where I admit that I fixed the first slipper a week ago and the whole time I was working on it I kept thinking "Stop and take pictures for the blog!" I didn't stop. I was in the zone. I was making and fixing and learning and DOing. So, I forced myself to wait to do the second slipper until after I had taken some staged pictures. These photos are included below because well... read the 4th sentence of my first paragraph above.
The TDE's Guide to Making:
5 simple steps for any project
1. Ponder
2. Gather
3. Play
4. Do
5. Re-do
1) Ponder:
Think about the problem and possible solutions. I typically ponder here and there, especially in the shower, for a few days. Get some vague ideas in your head of what might work and create a mental list of the materials you will need.
Well hello Periodic Table. You help with the shower ideas. Thanks!
Yes, this picture was really taken inside my shower.
2) Gather:
Get your materials and supplies. Pull together ALL the things you think you may use. Then grab some other stuff that is similar to the stuff you think you'll need. Sprawl it all out on the floor or table. I prefer the floor. Its bigger so I can have more stuff accessible.
Remember, this photo is staged. My actual gather was less organized.
Items I considered: fleece, felt, buttons, hem tape, snaps, twine. Note the lack of elastic which I may end up adding later if I decide that it is needed.
3) Play:
Play with things. Don't do any cutting/glueing/sewing/etc. Don't physically alter your materials yet. Line them up. Hold them up. Get ideas for what might actually work. This is the best part of the process. This is when you'll get in "the zone" and will be lost to the real world for a while. You also need to be sure to consider how the object will be used when it's done. You don't want to do anything that will hinder it's intended function. The play stage often results in a few additional mini gathering sessions. Don't bother putting things away yet even if you don't plan to use them. You might need them later.
hmmm, this could work...
Fleece is a good option for this project because it is soft, warm, and a little bit stretchy. Plus, cut edges don't fray so no hemming required. The TDE rather dislikes hemming.
4) DO:
Take the most promising idea from your play session and start doing it. I have learned that the best starting ideas involve the least amount of permanent alteration to the main object. Pick an option that is easy to undo but still promising. Do it. Try it. Does it work?
I sewed buttons onto the slipper. That way, if the fleece doesn't work out, I can use a different material attached to the button. Or, if this totally fails, the buttons don't alter the function of the slipper and/or can easily be cut off later.
5) Re-do:
Most likely, your initial "do" needs some tweaking. Sometimes it fails completely. Thats OK. Now you have narrowed the scope of what will or wont work. Go do something else.
Not a whole lot of re-do on this project. I adjusted the location of button holes and trimmed up the fleece appropriately. However, this project may not be done yet. As mentioned above, elastic may need to be added later.
Repeat steps 1-5, in any order, as needed.
Finally, clean up your maker tornado. Sometimes I find bits from a project weeks later in a place I don't even remember going while doing the project. It's all part of the process. Do your best to keep track of pins and other potentially dangerous things though. Safety first!
Because kinesthetic learners learn by doing, we love this whole process because we are engaging and learning and, most importantly, DOing. For me, when I successfully complete a maker project, I certainly feel pride because of the thing I have created. However, I feel more fulfilled by the fact that I fixed a problem. I figured out a solution. I had fun DOing it. For me, it's often more about the process than the end result.
PS: I'd love to interview the CMD (cabinet-maker-daddy) on his process for making intricate wooden boxes. Most of my maker projects are sewing related and fabric is quite a bit more forgiving than wood. Perhaps there will be a future post on this if he's willing.*
*Yes, the CMD reads my blog. Hi dad! :D
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Snow Day Blues
I've been sitting on the couch watching the snow fall for nearly 3 hours now. I got lost in Facebook land for a while, I drank some coffee, I pondered what to write about today. The ITH was sent home from work. He is currently napping. The snow is still falling.
You know how sometimes you see something (either on TV or in real life) that is horrible and you don't want to watch it but you just can't pull your eyes away from the horror? That is how this snow storm feels to me. I keep looking out the window and staring at it. It gives me a sense of doom deep within my soul. I know its just a snow storm. I know its not surprising. I never expected that winter was over. Yet I stare at it and think "WHYYYYYY?" We've had a rough winter this year and I am so done with it.
I tried to cope by looking at climate maps and planning my escape. The problem with climate maps is that there are so many out there and all of them are slightly different. How can one plan an escape to a perfectly in-between climate if all the maps conflict each other? And why is it that even with all of our scientific advances we still can't seem to figure the weather? And WHY is it snowing again today!
This is the negative loop my brain is stuck in right now. It is absolutely not the state of mind to be in when trying to write a witty science-based entertaining blog entry.
So, rather than force the issue, I distracted myself by checking one of my favorite blogs, Ann Arbor Amish. And, low and behold, a solution to my problem presented itself: A link to an article on the chemistry of cast iron seasoning. Cool!
So, today I admit blogging defeat, blame Seasonal Affected Disorder, and leave you with two links to help you get through this snow storm:
1) An attempt to convince myself that snow is good.
2) The Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning
Hopefully I shall recover from this funk before next week. Perhaps I need to plan some experiments for myself so I have goofy science-based life experiences to blog about. Suggestions welcome!
You know how sometimes you see something (either on TV or in real life) that is horrible and you don't want to watch it but you just can't pull your eyes away from the horror? That is how this snow storm feels to me. I keep looking out the window and staring at it. It gives me a sense of doom deep within my soul. I know its just a snow storm. I know its not surprising. I never expected that winter was over. Yet I stare at it and think "WHYYYYYY?" We've had a rough winter this year and I am so done with it.
I tried to cope by looking at climate maps and planning my escape. The problem with climate maps is that there are so many out there and all of them are slightly different. How can one plan an escape to a perfectly in-between climate if all the maps conflict each other? And why is it that even with all of our scientific advances we still can't seem to figure the weather? And WHY is it snowing again today!
This is the negative loop my brain is stuck in right now. It is absolutely not the state of mind to be in when trying to write a witty science-based entertaining blog entry.
So, rather than force the issue, I distracted myself by checking one of my favorite blogs, Ann Arbor Amish. And, low and behold, a solution to my problem presented itself: A link to an article on the chemistry of cast iron seasoning. Cool!
So, today I admit blogging defeat, blame Seasonal Affected Disorder, and leave you with two links to help you get through this snow storm:
1) An attempt to convince myself that snow is good.
2) The Chemistry of Cast Iron Seasoning
Hopefully I shall recover from this funk before next week. Perhaps I need to plan some experiments for myself so I have goofy science-based life experiences to blog about. Suggestions welcome!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Music Theory for Dancers Part 2
Hi all, its time for a little more music theory for dancers!
But first, great news! There's a new Vi Hart video! Its about cookies and math and includes multiple awesome female mathematicians! I wish I had been invited to that party. It looks super fun. Check it out HERE.
Now, Part 2: Time Signatures
I've been pondering how to best explain this topic to an audience that (per my assumption) doesn't know anything about music. My goal in this series of posts is to explain enough music theory to help dancers better understand it without teaching all the gory details of how to read music. Ideally, dancers should learn to read music, but it isn't absolutely necessary. For example, dancers don't need to know what notes are played in a song. Recognizing note lengths in music (1/4 notes, 1/8 notes, etc.) IS useful but it's still not absolutely necessary to be able to read them in a musical score. For now we'll assume that you've never seen a musical score and have no intention of learning to read one any time soon.
So, what DO you need to know about time signatures?
Time signatures are given as 2 numbers. The most common time signature in our culture is 4/4. So you may her musicians say things like "This piece is in 4/4." However, musicians (and dancers) often refer to the time signature by only the top number. As in "This piece is in 4." The second 4 is implied and inferred because musicians know to assume it.
What do the numbers mean?
Well we'll get to the top number in a bit. The bottom number, however, is rather hard to explain without getting into some slightly confusing stuff that you don't actually need to understand (at least at first.) So, ignore it. I'll probably explain it in a future post in the MTfD series but for now just pretend it isn't there. The best part is that you can still communicate with musicians without the bottom number. For example, you could have a conversation with musicians and ask them "Is this in 6 or 12?" and not even know (or need to know) that you are asking if it is in 6/8 or 12/8. Don't worry about that 8 for now. Ignore it.
Now for the top number. This is the number of beats in 1 measure. Or actually, the top number defines how long 1 measure is in number of beats.
Vocab time!
Measure: A length of time in music defined by the time signature and the tempo. Or, the space between the vertical lines on a piece of written music.
Bar: Technically it is referring to the vertical line (or bar) itself used to separate/notate measures in written music.
Many musicians use "measure" and "bar" interchangeably. Did you notice that those two wiki links go to the same page? In the TDE's experience, "bar" seems to be more common, at least among jazz musicians, probably because it's a shorter word and easier to say.*
*Note: "probably because it's a shorter word and easy to say" is an educated guess. The TDE has done NO research on this topic.
So, how can you tell, by just listening to a song, how many beats are in a measure?
Typically this is something you can feel. It may take some time to learn but most dancers have grown up being taught to start on 1, meaning you have learned to feel where 1 is already. Generally there are accents within a measure that make 1 easy to find. Also, things tend to start on 1. For example, the beginning of each lyric line often starts on 1. The chorus of song typically starts on 1. Even if there are no words to a song, melodic themes will generally start on 1.* Once you can feel the 1, all you have to do is count how many beats there are between the 1's. In our culture almost every song you encounter is in 4. Its an overwhelming majority in pop music. Off the top of my head I can only think of 1 current pop song getting radio play right now that is in a time signature other than 4.
*Note: Anything is allowed in music and dance so it isn't always the case that all these things start on 1. In fact, consider time steps in tap dance. They start on 4!
We'll talk a bit more about how accents define time signatures next time, but I think the best way to start to understand/feel measures and time signatures is to listen to some examples. So, in my effort to keep my posts a bit shorter than they have been, I will end this post with some links to examples. Part 3 (or perhaps I'll call it Part 2.5) will discuss the TDE's thoughts on why dancers count to 8 when the music is actually in 4 as well as the subtle differences between 3 and 6 (and between 2 and 4.)
So, some examples:
2/4 (Marches): Basically anything by Sousa
Most music by Oompah Bands
3/4 (Waltzes): Here's some Cake. Its a waltz about how waltzes aren't popular.
And that current pop song I already linked to above.
Or, how about a full hour of Waltz?
4/4 (Rock of all varieties, Pop, Most Jazz, pretty much everything you know):
Ben Folds + Fraggles!
A little Buble
This happy pop song (ha! See what I did there?)
5/4 (An unusual one, but we can Thank Dave Brubeck for giving an excellent example):
Take Five
And this awesome Radiohead/Brubeck mashup
6/8 (The TDE's favorite time signature! Waltz-like but different.* Often used for Viennese Waltzes):
This kinda screamy indie rock song
Some Death Cab For Cutie
This happy Christmas song (Yeah, I used that joke again.)
*Note: The best I can do to explain 6 briefly is that it feels like 3 but also kinda like 2. Typically if you're having hard time figuring out if a song is in 2, 3, or 4, then its probably actually in 6. More on this next time!
I think that's enough for now. Yes, other time signatures exist. Dave Brubeck's entire album "Time Out" embraces unusual time signatures. Heavy metal bands are know to break the 4/4 mold by writing songs in (literally) odd time signatures, including songs in crazy time signatures like 11 or 13. But, the above time signatures are more common and will help you understand and feel the measures.
Start paying attention to the time signature of music you hear everywhere you go. Most of it will be in 4, but you'll start to catch random songs in 3 or 6 here and there. You'll also start to really learn to feel the 1 which is very important for keeping in time when you are dancing.
Have fun!
But first, great news! There's a new Vi Hart video! Its about cookies and math and includes multiple awesome female mathematicians! I wish I had been invited to that party. It looks super fun. Check it out HERE.
Now, Part 2: Time Signatures
I've been pondering how to best explain this topic to an audience that (per my assumption) doesn't know anything about music. My goal in this series of posts is to explain enough music theory to help dancers better understand it without teaching all the gory details of how to read music. Ideally, dancers should learn to read music, but it isn't absolutely necessary. For example, dancers don't need to know what notes are played in a song. Recognizing note lengths in music (1/4 notes, 1/8 notes, etc.) IS useful but it's still not absolutely necessary to be able to read them in a musical score. For now we'll assume that you've never seen a musical score and have no intention of learning to read one any time soon.
So, what DO you need to know about time signatures?
Time signatures are given as 2 numbers. The most common time signature in our culture is 4/4. So you may her musicians say things like "This piece is in 4/4." However, musicians (and dancers) often refer to the time signature by only the top number. As in "This piece is in 4." The second 4 is implied and inferred because musicians know to assume it.
What do the numbers mean?
Well we'll get to the top number in a bit. The bottom number, however, is rather hard to explain without getting into some slightly confusing stuff that you don't actually need to understand (at least at first.) So, ignore it. I'll probably explain it in a future post in the MTfD series but for now just pretend it isn't there. The best part is that you can still communicate with musicians without the bottom number. For example, you could have a conversation with musicians and ask them "Is this in 6 or 12?" and not even know (or need to know) that you are asking if it is in 6/8 or 12/8. Don't worry about that 8 for now. Ignore it.
Now for the top number. This is the number of beats in 1 measure. Or actually, the top number defines how long 1 measure is in number of beats.
Vocab time!
Measure: A length of time in music defined by the time signature and the tempo. Or, the space between the vertical lines on a piece of written music.
Bar: Technically it is referring to the vertical line (or bar) itself used to separate/notate measures in written music.
Many musicians use "measure" and "bar" interchangeably. Did you notice that those two wiki links go to the same page? In the TDE's experience, "bar" seems to be more common, at least among jazz musicians, probably because it's a shorter word and easier to say.*
*Note: "probably because it's a shorter word and easy to say" is an educated guess. The TDE has done NO research on this topic.
So, how can you tell, by just listening to a song, how many beats are in a measure?
Typically this is something you can feel. It may take some time to learn but most dancers have grown up being taught to start on 1, meaning you have learned to feel where 1 is already. Generally there are accents within a measure that make 1 easy to find. Also, things tend to start on 1. For example, the beginning of each lyric line often starts on 1. The chorus of song typically starts on 1. Even if there are no words to a song, melodic themes will generally start on 1.* Once you can feel the 1, all you have to do is count how many beats there are between the 1's. In our culture almost every song you encounter is in 4. Its an overwhelming majority in pop music. Off the top of my head I can only think of 1 current pop song getting radio play right now that is in a time signature other than 4.
*Note: Anything is allowed in music and dance so it isn't always the case that all these things start on 1. In fact, consider time steps in tap dance. They start on 4!
We'll talk a bit more about how accents define time signatures next time, but I think the best way to start to understand/feel measures and time signatures is to listen to some examples. So, in my effort to keep my posts a bit shorter than they have been, I will end this post with some links to examples. Part 3 (or perhaps I'll call it Part 2.5) will discuss the TDE's thoughts on why dancers count to 8 when the music is actually in 4 as well as the subtle differences between 3 and 6 (and between 2 and 4.)
So, some examples:
2/4 (Marches): Basically anything by Sousa
Most music by Oompah Bands
3/4 (Waltzes): Here's some Cake. Its a waltz about how waltzes aren't popular.
And that current pop song I already linked to above.
Or, how about a full hour of Waltz?
4/4 (Rock of all varieties, Pop, Most Jazz, pretty much everything you know):
Ben Folds + Fraggles!
A little Buble
This happy pop song (ha! See what I did there?)
5/4 (An unusual one, but we can Thank Dave Brubeck for giving an excellent example):
Take Five
And this awesome Radiohead/Brubeck mashup
6/8 (The TDE's favorite time signature! Waltz-like but different.* Often used for Viennese Waltzes):
This kinda screamy indie rock song
Some Death Cab For Cutie
This happy Christmas song (Yeah, I used that joke again.)
*Note: The best I can do to explain 6 briefly is that it feels like 3 but also kinda like 2. Typically if you're having hard time figuring out if a song is in 2, 3, or 4, then its probably actually in 6. More on this next time!
I think that's enough for now. Yes, other time signatures exist. Dave Brubeck's entire album "Time Out" embraces unusual time signatures. Heavy metal bands are know to break the 4/4 mold by writing songs in (literally) odd time signatures, including songs in crazy time signatures like 11 or 13. But, the above time signatures are more common and will help you understand and feel the measures.
Start paying attention to the time signature of music you hear everywhere you go. Most of it will be in 4, but you'll start to catch random songs in 3 or 6 here and there. You'll also start to really learn to feel the 1 which is very important for keeping in time when you are dancing.
Have fun!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)