Patrick Peters

Lesson Plan: Syncopation

Context/Prior Knowledge
8th Grade General Music
Knowledge of sixteenth notes and 4/4 time

Essential Question
How can using South Indian Solkattu patterns help us to better understand syncopation?

Materials
Example video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iurhjlBum0o1
Projector
Speakers
Solkattu hand-out (attached)
Extra Pencils
Chalkboard/Whiteboard
Chalk/Dry-Erase Marker
Tanpura Drone (can be found for free on App Store Google Play)
http://www.fyreandlightning.org/jsc/Bandmeth/BandMeth14/Band%20Methods%20Articles/So.%
20Indian%20Drum%20syllables%20Music%20Educators%20Journal-2013-Wood-63-7.pdf2

Glossary of Terms3
• Solkattu - the onomatopoetic drum syllable language and hand gesture counting system
associated with the mridangam (a South Indian two-headed barrel drum made of
jackwood with goatskin heads).4
• Konnakol - the recitation of solkattu - the vocal syllables related to the sounds of the
Mridangam drum.5
• Syncopation - Deliberate upsetting of the meter or pulse of a composition by means of a
temporary shifting of the accent to a weak beat or an off-beat.
• Meter - the grouping of beats into regular patterns.

National Standards
MU:Cr2.1.8a: Select, organize, and document personal musical ideas for arrangements, songs,
and compositions within expanded forms that demonstrate tension and release, unity and
variety, balance, and convey expressive intent.

1
MasRasana Official. (2018, January 11). V shivapriya & br somashekar jois | konnakol duet | madrasana
unplugged season 03 episode 01 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iurhjlBum0o
2
Wood, B.K. (2013). South indian solkattu and western music pedagogy: creating new rhythmic perspectives.
Music Educators Journal, 99(4), 63-67. https://doi.org/10.1177/0027432113483839
3
OnMusic Dictionary (2015). Retrieved October 31, 2018, from https://dictionary.onmusic.org/
4
Montfort, M. South indian solkattu. Retrieved from http://www.ancient-future.com/solkattu.html
5
Young, L. (1998). Konnakol: The history and development of solkattu- the vocal syllables of the mridangam
(Master’s Thesis). Victorian College of the Arts, Australia.
MU:Pr4.2.8c: Identity how cultural and historical context inform performances and result in
different musical effects.

MU:Re7.2.8b: Identify and compare the context of programs of music from a variety of genres,
cultures, and historical periods.

MU:Cn10.0.8a: Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices
and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.

Learning Outcomes
1. Students will emulate the demonstrated syncopated solkattu rhythms.
2. Students will define syncopation.
3. Students will compose syncopated solkattu rhythms.
4. Students will perform their own syncopated solkattu rhythms.

Procedure
1. Have students sit on floor
2. Play somewhere between one and two minutes from the example video.
3. Give brief explanation of solkattu and konnakol [as defined above].
4. Write “4 – ta ka di mi” on the chalkboard/whiteboard
5. Move to center of room and have students stand up with you.
6. At 65 bpm, Students will keep time by stepping with their feet. Teacher will keep time by
using the Tala pattern displayed in the following video
(https://youtu.be/qdASeGlQW1g?t=95)6
a. Students do not need to do the Tala
b. If they ask, tell them that you can explain it if there is time at the end of class or
after class
7. As the class is keeping time, begin saying ta-ka-di-mi as sixteenth notes
a. Have students join in.
8. After success, write two more things in the board:
a. “3 – ta ki ta” written above the “4 –“ section.
b. “5 – ta di gi na tom” written below the “4-“ section.
9. Restart the time and begin to speak those two previous rhythms (as sixteenth notes)
back to back. Put emphasis on the start of each phrase.
a. TA-ki-ta TA-di-gi-na-tom
b. Allow students to join in and attempt the rhythm
c. Bring special attention to the accents on the start of each phrase. The second Ta
(that starts the 5 pattern) should be on an offbeat, creating syncopation.
10. Write two more things on the board
a. “2 – Ta Ka”
b. Pattern: 5, 2, 5, 4
11. We are going to combine 3 of the rhythms we have done
a. | represents a barline (though it is really only splitting beats, not bars)
b. TA-di-gi-na-|-tom TA-ka TA-|-di-gi-na-tom | TA-ka-di-mi
12. Repeat the above pattern over and wait for students to follow along.

6
Shaale (2016, September 9). 3.1 konnakkol – lesson 1 – tha dhi thom nam [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdASeGlQW1g
 13. When all finished, ask the following questions:
a. How did accenting those certain beats feel?
b. If they don’t hit on it, ask: “Did they line up with the downbeats?”
c. With that in mind, what do you think ‘syncopation’ is?
14. Hand out the solkattu hand-out with groupings of sixteenths and the syllables.
15. Give a couple minutes for students to compose, then gather everyone again.
16. Start the time again and go around in a circle and have each student perform their
composition.
17. Collect compositions at the end of class for assessment.

Assessment
1. Teacher will visually and aurally assess student’s timekeeping and annunciation of
correct solkattu syllables and accents.
2. Teacher will pose questions to the class in order for the class to craft a definition of
syncopation.
3. Teacher will evaluate student compositions through a class hand-out (below)
a. Grading
i. Check+: student shows several examples of correct syncopation and has
the correct number of sixteenth notes and solkattu syllables.
ii. Check: student shows a couple examples of correct syncopation, has the
correct amount of sixteenth notes and has a few errors in the syllables.
iii. Check-: student does not include syncopation, does not have the correct
number of sixteenth notes, and has numerous errors in solkattu syllables.
4. Teacher will visually and aurally assess student performance of their composed material
a. Allow a couple opportunities per student
b. Grading
i. Yes – student successfully performs syncopated composition in time with
only a few errors.
ii. No – student is unsuccessful in performing their syncopated composition.

Further Learning/Extensions
1. Explaining the tala that the teacher uses in class. Not necessarily a new ‘musical
concept’ but does provide more cultural and historical background to the exercise.
2. Try doing similar exercises in different meters like 3/4 or 6/8)
 South Indian Solkattu
Syllables and Groupings
1 – Ta

2 – Ta Ka

3 – Ta Ki Ta

4 – Ta Ka Di Mi

5 – Ta Di Gi Na Tom

6 – Ta Ki Ta-Ta Ki Ta

7 – Ta Ki Ta Din Gi Na Tom

8 – Ta Ka Di Mi-Ta Ka Jo Nu

Assignment:
Compose a two-bar phrase (32 total sixteenth notes) by adding up different
combinations of solkattu groupings from above. Distinguish your groupings and write in
the solkattu syllables.
For example:

*Your composition must have TWO examples of syncopation.*