Musicarta is streaming on Twitch TV! Bookmark keyboardcomposing and check the schedule for your local times!

Musicarta Beat and Rhythm Workbook
Snake Dance Series

Snake Dance Audio Challenge


Here are some Snake Dance variations to try to 'get by ear'.

The audio clips are set to loop - it's good to listen to things over and over, until you really 'own' them!

 Build-ups

For an easy starter, play this four-part build-up (below, left) to the final 'basic' version. Join in as soon as you realise what version is being played.

Then follow and play the slightly faster three-part version on the right.


 Crossed hands starter versions

Play the same build-up with the hands crossed 'loco' (below, left) and "8vb" (below, right). (Just be guided by the sound!)


 Beginner's agility challenge!

Play the melody in the bass with the left hand playing fifths below and above, alternating.


 More simple LH rhythms

Here are two LH rhythms using combinations of minims and crotchets (half and quarter notes). Play a RH-under crossed-hands version of each, too.


 Longer rhythmic patterns

The left hand rhythmic patterns in the following versions are longer than one bar.

Here's a medley version.


 Left hand off the beat

Now try some versions with the left hand playing 'off the beat' - on crotchets/quarter notes 2 and 4 (below, left).

Things immediately develop - two things, actually (below, right).

And a couple of 'agility challenges' in the same vein.


 'Flapping Fifths'

Another way to develop rhythmic variety is to hold one or other of the two left hand notes down. Follow this 'theme' as it develop through the examples below.

We can 'rock' the left hand fifth in crotchets, or add quavers into the mix.

Here are two proper performances incorporating those ideas.


 Anticipation

Either hand could use a little anticipation - playing a few notes before the beat. Here are two left hand options.

You need quite a bit of 'nerve' to serve up an accompaniment as sparse as this!


 Harmonising the melody

You can harmonise the melody with thirds, sixths and tenths. (Always!) Here are a couple of demonstration versions.

Incorporating the broken left hand intervals from the previous section gives us advanced arrangements like these.


 Ornamenting the melody

Every pianist worth his/her salt has a collection of well-practised 'grace-note figures' ('ornaments'/'embellishments'). The practice demo version (below, left) is over-packed with them. The version on the right incorporates thirds and ornaments, and is a bit more realistic.


 Medleys

You can easily combine any two versions to get a longer performance. Here are some examples to copy or use as a springboard for your own version(s).

They are mostly fairly obvious - a rhythmic pattern followed by a RH-under variation - but listen carefully for slight singularities in the second half left hand. It is rarely purely 'to pattern'.



 Miscellaneous

Here are a couple of 'Diary' improvisations which didn't make it into the course.


The Snake Dance is far from exhausted - the snake dances on forever, in fact. Listen at dusk as the stars twinkle into life over the dunes, and you are sure to hear, sinuous on the cool night air, a variation drifting by your ear...

Remember! There are three other courses in your Musicarta Beat and Rhythm Workbook!

Use all four courses on a daily basis as a methodical way to hone and develop your creative syncopation skills!



OUT NOW!

THE MUSICARTA BEAT & RHYTHM WORKBOOK

At last! An effective approach to keyboard rhythm & syncopation skills. Learn more!
Also on Musicarta Patreon - only $5.00 a month!



ONLY $24.95!

The Beat & Rhythm Workbook
~ ~ ~ ~
The Snake Dance

The Build-up

The Variations

Other B & R modules


The Musicarta
BEAT & RHYTHM WORKBOOK is now available!

A methodical approach to keyboard syncopation for

ONLY $24.95!

Learn more!


MUSICARTA
PUBLICATIONS

exciting keyboard
creativity courses


THE MUSICARTA
CHORDS 101
WORKBOOK
CHORDS 101 cover
Exclusively on
MUSICARTA
PATREON

Learn more!

THE MUSICARTA
~HANON~

video course
The Musicarta Hanon cover

ONLY $24.95
BUY NOW!
Also on
Musicarta
Patreon


THE MUSICARTA
PENTATONICS
WORKBOOK

video course
The Musicarta Hanon cover
ONLY $24.95
BUY NOW!
Learn more

GREENSLEEVES
Creative Keyboard

video course
GREENSLEEVES

THE MUSICARTA
BEAT AND RHYTHM
WORKBOOK
Beat and Rhythm Workbook
ONLY $24.95

Buy Now
Also available on
Udemy
andMusicarta Patreon Learn more!

PIANO SOLOS
- Volume 1 -
Piano Solos Vol. 1
ONLY $19.95
Buy Now
Learn more

THE MUSICARTA
12-BAR PIANO
STYLES WORKBOOK
Musicarta 12-bar Piano Styles
ONLY $19.95
Buy Now

THE
MUSICARTA MODES
WORKBOOK
Musicarta Modes Workbook
ONLY $19.95
Buy Now

MUSICARTA EASY
PIANO STYLE
Musicarta Easy Piano Style
ONLY $24.95
Buy Now

THE
CANON PROJECT

video course
The Canon Project
ONLY $24.95
Buy Now

THE PYRAMIDS
VARIATIONS

video course
The Pyramids Variations
ONLY $19.95
Buy Now
Also on Udemy and Musicarta Patreon
Learn more

KEY CHORDS VOL.1
Key Chords Vol.1
ONLY $24.95
Buy Now

'Chords for Carl'
- Piano Solo -

video course

Chords for Carl
ONLY $14.95
Buy Now

‘Mariaan’
- Piano Solo -

Mariaan
ONLY $14.95
Buy Now
Learn more

All the Musicarta
YouTube playlists
Pyramids
Pentatonics
Canon Project
Key Chords
Modes
Musicarta
Easy Piano
Musicarta
Blues & 12-bar
Beat & Rhythm
Solos
'Mariaan'
Chords for Carl
Songbook
Basic Music-
making Position
Left-hand-over
Style
Suspensions
Enya Solos
Scales
Technical Exercises
Triads and Inversions