Swing Time Stroll

Target Language or Knowledge:

Swing time Stroll was composed by the English musician Sarah Watt in 2007. It was originally written to be played on a recorder. The piece uses a piano, drum kit and recorder to create a gentle moving piece set at a moderate tempo hence the title “Stroll”. The volume of the piece is very gentle as well. It begins with a 4 bar introduction played by the piano with drum support. The piano is playing chords on the first and third beats of each bar and the drum player is emphasizing the second and fourth beats. The piano is alternating chord 1 with chord 4 and chord 5. The drum plays in a laid back jazz style with syncopated 4 bar rhythms. Each 4 bars features a drum “fill” to finish. When the recorder plays the main melody the piano and drums continue with the same pattern from the introduction. The harmony is chord 1 followed by chord 4 then chord 5. This pattern is repeated then the minor chord followed by chord 5 with a return to chord one to finish. The melody moves downwards with a small leap resting for two beats a step higher. This is repeated then followed by a similar pattern but with no rests and a moving down step pattern. The third part of the melody creates a contrast by moving downwards the upwards in steps only before finishing with a return of the original downward movement in steps. The music is suitable for a person who can play the first three notes on an instrument.

Stroll 2007 written recorder piano drum recorder moving moderate Stroll volume introduction piano drum second fourth alternating chord jazz rhythms fill melody same followed chord downwards leap repeated similar rests pattern contrast downwards in finishing original downward suitable three instrument