Lesson 2: Learning “Tamzara”
Aim: How can body movement help us learn about music with uneven meters?
Summary: Students learn the song and dance “Tamzara,” and explore the strong and weak beats in an uneven rhythm.
Materials: Musical Explorers digital resources, Musical Explorers Student Guide
Standards: National 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 11
Vocabulary: measure, meter, strong beats, weak beats
Quick Links:
“Tamzara”
Text
Le le le le, Tamzara
Aghchig, dugha gu khagha
Asor gusenk Tamzara
Aghchig, dugha gu khagha
Chorus:
Tamzara bar baretsek
Oosernit al sharzhetsek
Tamzarayin bareru
Irar goo kan yareru
Veri bakhchin dantseru
Hop-hop gunen mancheru
Oor vor aghchig mu desnen
Hon gu dzurren fezeru
(Chorus)
Khelkus kulkhes arer a
En aghgegan mazeru
Tamzarayin varbedu
Kughoo, Paloo, Kharpertu
(Chorus)
Translation
Le le le le, Tamzara,
Girls and boys play,
We call this the Tamzara,
Girls and boys play.
Chorus:
Dance the Tamzara and
Move your shoulders
In the dances of the Tamzara
Sweethearts find each other
In the upper pear orchards
The boys go “hop-hop.”
Wherever they see a girl
They tip their fezzes*
(Chorus)
I’ve lost my head over
The lovely hair of a girl.
The masters of the Tamzara
Are in Kughoo, Palu, and Kharpert
(Chorus)
*Fezzes are red felt hats.
Explore Distinctive Rhythms of “Tamzara”
- Listen to the simple “Tamzara” countermelody and count out the nine beats in each measure, accenting the strong beats, as follows: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9.
- Invite the students to join in the counting.
- For more advanced and experienced students, you can explain that the set of nine beats is called a measure, and that 9/8 is the meter of the song. (Students do not have to understand these words to participate in this activity.)
- Explain that the strong and weak beats occur in a surprising, unexpected pattern, giving the music and dance a special feel. Contrast this with the familiar steady beat (e.g., 1 2 3 4) found in many other songs.
- Using the “Tamzara” chorus with counts (slow), count the nine-beat pattern again, this time clapping on beats 7 and 8. Then play the “Tamzara” chorus with countermelody and clap on beats 7 and 8 along with the singers.
- Once the students are comfortable with the pattern, play the full recording and clap together on beats 7 and 8. If the students are ready, try singing along to the chorus while clapping on beats 7 and 8.
Dance the “Tamzara”
- Use the “Tamzara Demonstration” video to learn the simplified dance steps and see a demonstration of the full “Tamzara” dance.
Beat 1:
Step to the right while waving your arms to the right.
Beat 3:
Bring your left foot to meet your right foot while waving your arms to the left.
Beat 5:
Step to the right while waving your arms to the right.
Beat 7:
Bring your left foot to meet your right. Clap your hands on beat 7 and 8. Hold on beat 9.
- Repeat the steps in the opposite direction.
Armenian Bird Letters
- Armenians have a unique alphabet with 38 letters in it (36 original letters, plus two added later on). The alphabet is so beloved in Armenian culture that it’s common to find a framed picture of it hanging in Armenian homes.
- There is also a special form of Armenian calligraphy called “turchnakir,” in which the letters are drawn from the shapes of birds; the word turchnakir is a composite of the words “bird” and “letter.”
- In Armenian Bird Letters (PDF), your students will see how the word “song” is written in Armenian lettering and turchnakir. Then write the word “song” in English, ornamenting the letters with birds.
The Greedy Sparrow: An Armenian Tale
In The Greedy Sparrow: An Armenian Tale by Lucine Kasbarian, a greedy sparrow tricks everyone who offers help—and learns that dishonesty and selfishness never pay.
Musical Word Wall
Add measure, meter, strong beats, and weak beats to the Musical Word Wall.
Image Credits
Local People in Traditional Costumes in Yerevan, Armenia by MehmetO / Alamy Stock Photo