What's covered
Key facts
The djembe is a West African hand drum.
African drumming uses polyrhythms and call and response.
Eastern Mediterranean (Greek) music features the bouzouki and often irregular metres.
Indian classical music features the sitar, tabla and a drone (tambura).
Indian classical music uses a raga: a melodic framework.
Indian classical music uses a tala: a repeating rhythmic cycle.
A polyrhythm layers two or more contrasting rhythms at once.
Rhythms of the World studies traditional music of India, Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Americas.
Brazilian samba is played by a samba band with layered percussion (surdo, agogô).
Sample questions
A taste of the 10 questions in this topic, answers marked. Sign up to practise the full set with spaced repetition.
The djembe is what kind of instrument?
- •A Brazilian metal whistle
- •A Greek plucked lute
- ✓A West African hand drum
- •An Indian string instrument
Brazilian samba is typically performed by a?
- •A four-piece brass quintet
- •A single solo pianist
- •A small string quartet
- ✓Samba band with layered percussion
Which string instrument is associated with Greek music?
- ✓The bouzouki
- •The djembe
- •The harpsichord
- •The sitar
In Indian classical music, what is the melodic framework called?
- •Drone
- ✓Raga
- •Tabla
- •Tala
African drumming commonly features which two things?
- •A single steady drum beat
- •Lush orchestral strings
- ✓Polyrhythms and call and response
- •Solo Gregorian chant
In Indian classical music, what is the repeating rhythmic cycle called?
- •Kora
- •Raga
- •Sitar
- ✓Tala
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