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McKay, Creative Orchestration

George Frederick McKay · section 83 of 111

Percussion as background

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Because of its aural vividness, the pulsating timbre of a percussive element can supply a stabilizing effect. The striking sound and penetrating force of percussion rhythm so engages the attention and so definitely — and almost hypnotically — fills up the sound space that everything else seems almost incidental. If a drum beat such as the following is begun,

Drum-beat rhythm: four accented groups of an eighth and two sixteenths
Fig. 224 · Play this example in the reader ▶

even random shouts and noises, if added, seem to merge into meaning, through the unifying power and dominating energy and impact of such a motor pedal (rhythmic ostinato).

from RESPIGHI: The Fountains of Rome (By permission of G. Ricordi & Co., copyright owner) — rehearsal number 7, Più vivo ancora (♩ = metronome figure illegible)
Fig. 225 · Play this example in the reader ▶

Primitive peoples knew about this principle, and used drums in this way as a strong unifying force. “Jazz” musicians understand its power, and use percussion as a foundation for improvisatory freedom. Much tonal interest results from the variety of timbre made possible by the unifying percussive background.