Motorik
Motorik is a term coined by music journalists to describe the 4/4 beat often used by "Krautrock" bands such as Neu! and Kraftwerk (promoting the official CD release of Neu!'s back-catalogue, Klaus Dinger stated he called it the "Apache-beat").[1] The word "Motorik" means "motor skill" in German, although the word's use in music journalism may be derived from a punning modification of "motoric", a term long used by music critics to describe relentless ostinato rhythm, or simply from a combination of "motor" and the German "Musik".
The name perhaps derives from the repetitive yet forward-flowing feel of the rhythm, which has been compared to the experience of motorway driving -- indeed, the motorik beat is in one section of Kraftwerk's "Autobahn", a song designed to celebrate exactly this experience. While The Velvet Underground's influence on Krautrock is often mentioned, Moe Tucker's drumming has specifically been characterized as "proto-motorik."[2]
The motorik beat is in 4/4 time and of moderate pace. The pattern is repeated each bar throughout the song. A splash or crash cymbal is often hit at the beginning bar of a verse or chorus.
The basic pattern is as follows:[citation needed]
| Beat | 1 | + | 2 | + | 3 | + | 4 | + |
| Hi-hat | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| Snare | - | - | x | - | - | - | x | - |
| Kick | x | x | - | x | x | x | - | x |
References [edit]
- ^ Klaus Dinger (2002). Interview with UK music magazine The Wire.
- ^ Chris Jones (21 June 2007). Review of "The Velvet Underground & Nico" for the BBC. Retrieved 20 October 2007.
