[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP. Skeleton score in Insert.] In a West African drumming performance, the master drummer plays a phrase a...

(a) Call and response [1]

Call and response is a musical structure in which one musician (or group) performs a phrase (the "call") and another musician (or group) answers with a contrasting or complementary phrase (the "response"). In West African drumming, the master drummer plays the call, and the ensemble of supporting drummers replies. This creates a conversational interplay between leader and group. Call and response is fundamental to many African musical traditions and has influenced blues, gospel, jazz, and other genres worldwide.

(b) Polyrhythm / Cross-rhythm [1]

Polyrhythm (also called cross-rhythm) occurs when two or more different rhythmic patterns are performed simultaneously. In West African drumming, each drummer typically maintains a distinct repeating pattern. These patterns interlock - they have different accents, groupings, or subdivisions that create a complex, layered rhythmic texture. For example, one drummer might play a pattern based on groups of two while another plays groups of three. The result is a rich, driving texture that is greater than the sum of its individual parts.

(c) One other feature of West African drumming [1]

Acceptable answers include any one of the following:

• Syncopation: accents placed on weak beats or off-beats, creating rhythmic surprise and momentum
• Improvisation by the master drummer: the lead player varies their patterns freely while the ensemble maintains steady repeating parts
• Ostinato: short rhythmic or melodic patterns repeated continuously by individual players
• Changes in tempo or dynamics: the master drummer can signal increases in speed or volume to build excitement
• Varied timbres from different-sized drums: ensembles use drums of different sizes and shapes (djembe, dundun, etc.) to produce contrasting high, medium, and low tones