Main content

I Got Rhythm

Tom Service asks what rhythm is, how we feel a beat and whether we need it to enjoy music. Music includes Bach's courtly dances, Steve Reich's Clapping Music and James Brown.

Ever gone out dancing? Or found your fingers and toes tapping along to your favourite tune? We find rhythm irresistible as humans.

But what is rhythm? How do we feel that beat - and do we need it to enjoy music? Tom Service explores rhythm in music from Bach's courtly dances to Steve Reich's clapping hands, finds out what puts the rhythm in RnB and discovers music that has no rhythm at all.

Meanwhile, musical neuroscientist Dr Jessica Grahn is on hand to show us how rhythm affects our brains and together they find out the beat really does go on throughout our human lives.

Available now

29 minutes

Last on

Fri 15 Oct 2021 16:30
成人快手 Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

The Power of Three

Next

Drones

See all episodes from The Listening Service

Music Played

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony No 7 in A Major, Op 92 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Manfred Honeck.
    • Beethoven 5 & 7.
    • Reference Recordings.
    • 8.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Violin Concerto in G minor, RV 315, 'Summer' (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Nicola Benedetti. Conductor: Christian Curnyn. Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
    • Decca.

  • Iggy Pop

    Lust For Life

    • Lust for Life.
    • RCA.

  • John Adams

    Short Ride in a Fast Machine

    Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • Adams: Harmonielehre etc: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Rattle.
    • EMI Classics.
    • 6.

  • Igor Stravinsky

    The Rite of Spring (Augurs of Spring)

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring: Rattle / Berliner Philarmoniker.
    • EMI.
    • 3-5.

  • Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Two

    Get Rhythm

    • Get Rhythm.
    • Sun.

  • Steve Reich

    Clapping Music

    Performer: Steve Reich. Performer: David Cossin.

  • Anna Meredith

    HandsFree

    Performer: Anna Meredith.

  • Traditional Russian

    Song of the Volga Boatmen

    Singer: Arthur Eizen. Choir: Soviet Army Chorus. Ensemble: Soviet Army Band. Conductor: Col. Boris Alexander.
    • EMI.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Mandolin Concerto in C major, RV.425

    Performer: Avi Avital. Orchestra: Venice Baroque Orchestra.
    • Avi Avital Vivaldi.
    • DG.
    • 7.

  • Faithless

    Insomnia

    • Insomnia.
    • Cheeky Records.

  • Adzido

    Warrior

    • Traditional Songs and Dances from Africa.
    • ARC.

  • Lincoln Lewis

    Wabouga

    • The Rough Guide to Central America.
    • World Music Network.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No 41 in C major, K 551, 'Jupiter' (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Roger Norrington.
    • Mozart: Essential Symphonies Vol. I: Norrington.
    • Hanssler Classics.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphony No 99 in E flat major (1st mvt)

    Orchestra: Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenobles. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.
    • Haydn, 12 London Symphonies: Marc Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenobles.
    • Naive.
    • 1.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No 41 in C major, K 551, 'Jupiter' (1st mvt)

    Conductor: Colin Davis. Orchestra: Staatskapelle Dresden.
    • Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 39 & 41: Sir Colin Davis.
    • Philips.
    • 5.

  • Gustav Mahler

    Symphony no.6 - 1st mvt

    Performer: Budapest FO. Performer: Iv谩n Fischer.
    • Channel.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite No.2 in B minor, BWV.1067 (Overture)

    Orchestra: Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Ton Koopman.
    • J.S. Bach, Orchestral Suites, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra / Ton Koopman.
    • RCA.
    • 7.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite No 3 in D major, BWV 1068 (Air)

    Orchestra: Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Ton Koopman.
    • J.S. Bach, Orchestral Suites, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra / Ton Koopman.
    • RCA.
    • 2.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphony No 94 in G major, 'Surprise' (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenobles. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.
    • Haydn, 12 London Symphonies: Marc Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenobles.
    • Naive.
    • 3.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony No 2 in D major, Op 36 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Orchestre R茅volutionnaire et Romantique. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • Beethoven: The Symphonies, John Eliot Gardiner.
    • Archiv Produktion.
    • 7.

  • Hector Berlioz

    Symphonie fantastique (2nd mvt, The Ball)

    Orchestra: West鈥揈astern Divan Orchestra. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim.

  • Gustav Mahler

    Symphony No 6 in A minor (2nd mvt; 3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Daniel Harding.
    • BR KLASSIK.

  • Igor Stravinsky

    The Rite of Spring (Sacrifical Dance)

    Orchestra: Sim贸n Bol铆var Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel.
    • Igor Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring: Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.
    • Deutsche Grammaphon.
    • 14.

  • Little Richard

    Tutti Frutti

    • Tutti Frutti.
    • Magic.

  • Gloria Gaynor

    I Will Survive

    • I Will Survive.
    • Polydor.

  • James Brown

    (Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine

    • Get Up I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine.
    • Mercury.

  • Skepta

    Shutdown

    • Konnichiwa.
    • Boy Better Know.

  • Muddy Waters

    Hoochie Coochie Man

    • Honey Bee.
    • Wolf.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Symphony no.2 - 4th mvt

    Performer: Gewandhaus Orchestra. Performer: Ricardo Chailly.
    • Decca.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Don Giovanni - Act 2 scene 20

    Performer: Ren茅 Jacobs.
    • Don Giovanni.
    • harmonia Mundi.

  • Conlon Nancarrow

    Study no.7

    Performer: Conlon Nancarrow.
    • Wergo.

  • Gy枚rgy Ligeti

    Piano Etude no.1 Desordre

    Performer: Jeremy Denk.
    • Nonesuch.

  • Aka Pygmies

    Yangissa

    • African Rhythms.
    • Teldec.

  • Gy枚rgy Ligeti

    础迟尘辞蝉辫丑猫谤别蝉

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Jonathan Nott.
    • WARNER.

  • Pauline Oliveros

    In Memoriam Mr. Whitney

    Performer: Pauline Oliveros. Choir: American Voices.
    • Oliveros: St. George and the Dragon; In Memoriam Mr. Whitney.
    • MODE.
    • 1.

  • Anton Bruckner

    Symphony no.8 - 3rd mvt

    Performer: Staatskapelle Dresden. Performer: Christian Thielemann.
    • Profil.

  • Massive Attack

    Teardrop

    • Mezzanine.
    • Virgin.

  • Buddy Rich

    The Beat Goes On

    • Big Swing Face.
    • Fontana.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 25 Jun 2017 17:00
    成人快手 Radio 3
  • Fri 6 Sep 2019 16:30
    成人快手 Radio 3
  • Sun 10 Oct 2021 17:00
    成人快手 Radio 3
  • Fri 15 Oct 2021 16:30
    成人快手 Radio 3

Why do we call it 'classical' music?

Tom Service poses a very simple question (with a not-so-simple answer).

Six of the world's most extreme voices

From babies to Mongolian throat singers: whose voice is the most extreme of all?

How did the number 12 revolutionise music?

How did the number 12 revolutionise music?

How Schoenberg opened a new cosmos for composers and listeners to explore.

Why are we all addicted to bass?

Why are we all addicted to bass?

Bass is everywhere, but why do we enjoy it? Join Tom Service on a journey of discovery.

Watch the animations

Join Tom Service on a musical journey through beginnings, repetition and bass lines.

When does noise become music?

We like to think we can separate 鈥渘oise鈥� from 鈥渕usic鈥�, but is it that simple?

Podcast