14-­‐06-­‐26 FIG
Workshop
Aerobic
Gymnastics
Cancun
2014
Lasse Nettum
Terminology
Ø  Basic music theory should be required for all
FIG disciplines using music.
Ø  A common understanding of musical
terminology is essential. We have to use the
same “language”!
1 14-­‐06-­‐26 Terminology in Aerobic Gymnastics
used in COP 2013 - 2016
Dynamic, Rhythmic, Usage (Musicality), Creativity,
Fluidity, Musical selection, Composition and
Structure, Distinctive music, The music must
represent the story the gymnast wants to transmit.
  Aerobic Movement Patterns (AMP)
  Monotonous, Rhythmical, Timing/Tempo,
Countable, Beats, Accents, Phrase, 8 count
structure, Melody/Style
  BGM (Back ground music)
 
Intensity
Aerobic Gymnastics is the ability to perform
continious complex and high intensity aerobics
movement patterns to music.
  The AMP sequences must provide adequate
power.
  Intensity is a measure of the energy and the
dynamism of the routine.
  Fluidity, connection between movements, energyflow.
  Dynamic display of human potential.
 
2 14-­‐06-­‐26 Monotony!
 
The COP in Aerobic Gymnastics says:
 The
music should be dynamic and
varied, not monotonous”.
Question 1
 
I have studied Aerobic exercises from the last 20
years.
 
My question to you is;
  Is
it possible to avoid monotony when the
music has the same volume (decibel level)
from start to the end, has no change in time
signatures and has no change in musical
character and metronomic speed (tempo)??
3 14-­‐06-­‐26 Question 2
 
I know you are afraid of loosing the Identity of
Aerobic Gymnastics.
 
My question to you is;
  Is
it possible to do some changes, increase
the amount of dynamic changes, using
different time signatures, using other
”counts” then 8 – counts and still keep the
Aerobic Gymnastic identity?.
Responsebility
 The
Technical Committee, the
COP, the judges and the
coaches are responsible for the
quality in the exercises
according to harmony between
the music and the movement.
4 14-­‐06-­‐26 Identity
You have to develop an identity between the
gymnasts, the exercise and the music.
  They must give us the feeling that:
 
  This
is our music, this is our exercise.
  We are who we are.
  Look at us, listen to our music.
This creates identity.
  This gives us Goosebumps!!
 
Harmony. Using the music.
  The
next you will see is far away from
aerobic gymnastics and ”power”.
  Anyway I want you to listen and look.
  The time signature is 4/4. Look how he is
using the first beat.
  Look at the energy flow between the
movements.
  This is what we want in aerobics also.?
5 14-­‐06-­‐26 Rhythm and Music
Ø  The
Rhythm is the foundation of music
Ø  Motive,
Sequences and Periods are the
building blocks of music
Ø  Melody
and tempo are the heart of music
Ø  Their
combination gives us the musical
character, the musical “feeling”
Movement and“Rhythmical Family”
Ø  Rhythm
is the mother of the movement
it gives birth and life to the movement
Ø  Tempo
is the father of the movement
it guides us through the movement
Ø  Character
and artistry are the children
they are dancing, expressing joy or sadness
6 14-­‐06-­‐26 Analysing the Movements
In biomechanics we talk about Force. In music this
force is evident as an impulse or accent.
  We have to look for the forces acting in the
movement.
  The time we see the forces in a movement we call
it an Impulse or an Accent.
  If there is a complex movement we will see many
accents.
  The intervals between the accents is the rhythm.
 
Rhythm
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Rhythm is a chain of impulses with equal or non-equal
intervals
If the intervals are equal we call it ground rhythm
If the intervals are non-equal we call it melody rhythm
The velocity/speed of the ground rhythm decides the
tempo of the music (metronomic speed; beats per
minute)
The melody rhythm is “the dance” that brings life to the
ground rhythm using different mathematical variations
also known as rhythmical patterns
7 14-­‐06-­‐26 Basic music theory
What you
Should have
Learned
In school
Musical notation and symbols
In the following slide you will see how a
chain of impulses
enter the musical world
8 14-­‐06-­‐26 Rhythmical training: the 2/4
Ø 
Using “ying-yang”, day-night, heartbeat, walking
on a weight platform. This is the 2/4 “the mother
of the movement and the rhythm”
Ø 
Impulse, no impulse – Impulse, no impulse
Ø 
From this simple rhythm all the others are
created.
Ø 
To create other rhythms is just a matter of
mathematic skill.
Rhythmical training
Using the rhythm in “2/4 names”.
Ø  v means accent, - means no accent
Ø  Peter Pan
(v -) (v -)
Ø  Roger More
(v -) (v -)
Ø  Justin Bieber (v -) (v -)
Ø  Dustin Hoffman (v -) (v -)
Ø  Try to find a 2/4 name
Ø 
9 14-­‐06-­‐26 Melodyline
If we add a melody to the ground rhythm
we are creating music.
This music could be a tango.
Remember the definition. The melody
rhythm is like ”children dancing”.
Dancing in 2/4
The next slide shows dancers
dancing with the chain of
impulses with superimposed
musical symbols.
Observe the accent in the music
and in the movements
10 14-­‐06-­‐26 Musical notation and symbols
In the following slide you will see again
how a chain of impulses
enter the musical world
Rhythmical training
Ø  Using
the rhythm in “3/4 names” sentences
Ø  v means accent, - means no accent
Ø  Grandmother loves you (v - -) (v - -)
Ø  Nadya means harmony (v - -) (v - -)
Ø  Leonella Waterspoon
(v - -) (v - -)
Ø  Try to find a 3/4 name
11 14-­‐06-­‐26 Dancing in 3/4
The next slide shows dancers
dancing with the chain of
impulses with superimposed
musical symbols.
Observe the accent in the music
and in the movements
Using examples
It is important for you to know that my examples
are chosen based on purely music theoretical
considerations.
  The examples are from the EC in 2013.
 
  They
have nothing to do with my opinion
about “good or bad”.
  They represent only examples of the
different topics I am talking about.
12 14-­‐06-­‐26 The Main time signatures
The 2/4 and the 3/4 are the main time signatures.
The rest of the time signatures are combinations.
If we have two bars of 3/4 we can count 123, 123. If
the second 1 is without an accent it is not a 1 it is a 4.
So instead of having two bars in 3/4 we have one bar
in 6/4. And we count 123456.
  In the time signature 4/4 we have the same! The
4/4 is actually two bars of 2/4 where the second
1 is without beat. Then we count; 1234.
 
When to 2/4 is not 2/4
  If
you have two bars of 2/4 you can
count 1 2 3 4. Then you have accents
on 1 and 3.
  If there is no accent on 3 then you
count 1 2 3 4 and then the time
signature is 4/4.
13 14-­‐06-­‐26 Using the possibilities in music
  As
a coach you are responsible for finding
the possibilities of the music you have
selected.
  Listen carefully, find the accents, the rhythm,
the character, the sound effects. Where can
I double the rhythm, what can I do when the
time signature goes from 4/4 to 2/4.
  Look at what these two dancers do
  Try to find the change in tempo and time
signature.
  Don`t think about speed and power.
Ground Rhythm and Melody rhythm
You have seen chains of impulses creating
different time signatures.
  We have talked about Melody rhythm.
  To create a dance focusing on the time signature
and at the same time have focus on the melody
rhythm and the music character and sound effects
is to create harmony.
  Playing with the rhythm is just a matter of
mathematical skill.
  The foundation of playing with mathematical skill is
the next slide.
 
14 14-­‐06-­‐26 The musical Construc<on • 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
To create a novel you need a gramma<cal construc<on To create a piece of music you need a musical construc<on We are talking about mo<f, sequences and periods A period in music is 8 bars in any <me signature. We can call it a musical sentence or a phrase. This is also called a «normal period». This is what COP calls 8 – counts or 16 – counts structure. A sequence is half a period (4 bars) A mo<f is half a sequence (2 bars). These are the building blocks of a piece of music. If we add 4 bars to a normal period of 8 bars we call it a «blues period» = 12 bars . (Music ”In the mood” with the aerobic 160 bpm) 15 14-­‐06-­‐26 The musical Character •  To make harmony between music and an exercise it is important that the exercise has the same character as the music. •  A complete change of movement character when the music does not change is to loose the harmony between the music and the exercise. •  I found an exercise from 1999. I hope she is not par<cipa<ng here in Cancun. Musical effects
 Sound
effects
 Rhytmical
effects
16 14-­‐06-­‐26 Rhythmical effects
 Using
a combination of ground
rhythm and melody rhythm.
 Using after stroke, syncope, the
pattern in the melody rhythm,
 Different matematical patterns.
 Mix of time signatures.
Conclusion
You have chosen an FIG dicipline that requires
music.
  It means for the gymnast, the judges and the
audience, the music is essential.
  It means that you have to understand and follow
the music.
  It means that you must be able to create harmony
between the music and the exercise
 
 
This lecture was to remind you to do so!
17