The Forgotten Power of Rhythm: Taketina
Reinhard Flatischler

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To many musicians, rhythm is something that is done by the hands and/or feet, representing mathematical divisions. But as Reinhard Flatischler makes clear in this engrossing study, rhythm is an internal force that exists in the foundations of life (breathing and heartbeat) and is best experienced through movement and vocal sounds. One quickly discovers that being able to feel rhythm through the entire body gives musical performance (especially drumming) a great deal of conviction. The book combines historical and cultural information about rhythm with exercises designed to make one more aware of rhythmic pulse land subdivison. Some of the material is based around the Indian system of assigning syllables to different subdivisions. Singing "ta ke ti na" may seem exotic at firsts, but it's not all that different than counting "1 e & A" except that it proves to be more sophisticated, especially with groupings such as five and seven, in which the Western counting system falls apart. Flatiscshler's exercises help one discover the character aof different subdivisions as opposed to the mere arithmetic involved. The corresponding CD gives relevant examples of the subjects discussed in the book..All are enlightening.