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| Title: | GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion |
| Notice: | Discussion of the finer stringed instruments |
| Moderator: | KDX200::COOPER |
|
| Created: | Thu Aug 14 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 3280 |
| Total number of notes: | 61432 |
2874.0. "Reading Rhythms (exercises)" by TECRUS::ROST (If you don't C#, you might Bb) Mon Jan 10 1994 07:29
Pulled off USENET. Some (possibly) useful exercises in reading
rhythms.
From: [email protected] (I Stephenson)
Subject: Re: Help with Sight Reading
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 94 12:34:53 GMT
Rhythm Lesson 1
===============
Ian Stephenson
[email protected]
The timing of notes is AT LEAST as important as the pitching of notes - play
the right note at the wrong time will sound worse than the wrong note at the
right time. You will have already played a number of rhythms, but in order
to improve your timing skills we must go back to basics, and analyse how a
pattern is built up.
To begin with we will restrict the discusion to simple 4/4 time.
A bar of 4/4 consists of four beats, counted 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4,1,2... with the
emphasis on the 1. A bar line is drawn between each bar to indicate where
bars begin. The top 4 represents the number of bets in the bar, and the
bottom number represents how long these notes are. Both of these can (and
do) change, but most popular music is in 4/4 time.
A note of four beat duration is called a "semibreve", or (in "american"
terminology) a "whole note". This is the largest note that will fit in a 4.4
bar. Such a note is written as "O". Sometimes the letter "w" will be used
above tab to represent a Whole note.
Semibreve Whole Note w O
So lets try playing some of those.
|4/4-O--------------|-O--------------|-O--------------|-O---------------||
| 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 ||
(the double bar line at the end means the end of a section)
Whole notes get a bit dull after a while. We build up more interesting
patterns by dividing notes into two, to we can replace a semibreve, by two
"minims", or |"half notes".
|
|
Minim Half Note h O|
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
|4/4-O|------O|-----|-O|------O|-----|-O|------O|-----|-O|------O|------||
| 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 ||
Minims are still a little too repetative, but things get more interesting
when we break these in half to get "crotchets", or "quarter notes".
|
|
Crotchet Quarter Note q @|
If we break up all the minims we now get a note on every beat:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|--||
| 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 ||
The first beat of each bar should be emphasised, as should the third (to a
lesser degree).
Now we can mix things up a little, because we don't need to break up EVERY
minim - we can leave some whole.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--O|-----|-@|--@|--O|-----|-@|--@|--O|-----|-@|--@|--O|------||
| 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 ||
or:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-O|------@|--@|-|-O|------@|--@|-|-O|------@|--@|-|-O|------@|--@|--||
| 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 ||
And of course we don't have to play the same in every bar:
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--O|-----|-O|------@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|-|-O--------------||
| 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 ||
or
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-O|------O|-----|-@|--@|--O|-----|-@|--@|--@|--@|-|-O|------O|------||
| 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 ||
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|--@|-|-O|------@|--@|-|-@|--@|--O|-----|-O---------------||
| 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 ||
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-O|------@|--@|-|-O|------@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|-|-O|------@|--@|--||
| 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 ||
etc...
We can further break crotchets down into quavers, and semiquavers. The
symbols for these are:
|\
|
Quaver Eighth Note e @|
|\
|\
Semiquaver Sixteenth Note s @|
In fact these can be broken down even further (into demi-semiquavers, and
hemi-demi-semiquavers) by adding extra tails, but these are rarely used.
We'll consider quavers and semiquavers more fully in the next lesson.
---------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY
---------------------------------------------------------------
Name American Name letter symbol Value
---- ------------- ------ ------ -----
Semibreve Whole Note w O 4 beats
|
|
Minim Half Note h O| 2 beats
|
|
Crotchet Quarter Note q @| 1 beat
|\
|
Quaver Eighth Note e @| 1/2 beat
|\
|\
Semiquaver Sixteenth Note s @| 1/4 beat
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lesson Points: note values & symbols
Crotchet, minim and semibreve rhythms
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rhythm Lesson 2
===============
Ian Stephenson
[email protected]
In the last lesson we counted crotchet (quarter note) beats as 1,2,3,4...
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|------@|------@|------@|-----|-@|------@|---- -@|------@|------||
| 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 ||
When these are divided into quavers, the extra notes are placed by counting
1,&,2,&,3,&,4,&. Notes are played both on the numbers, and the &'s, with a
slight emphaisis on the first of each pair:
|\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\ |\
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--||
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ||
We're now getting rather a lot of notes, so in order to make things clearer
the gouping of quavers into pairs (to make crotchets) and groups of four (to
make minims) is explicitly marked by joining the tails of the notes together
where this is posible, and makes semantic sense.
_____
|\ |\ | |
| | => | |
@| @| @| @|
_____________
|\ |\ |\ |\ | | | |
| | | | => | | | |
@| @| @| @| @| @| @| @|
So the previus pattern could be more clearly written as:
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--||
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ||
We could even have grouped this pattern in eights, but this would probably
make it more difficult to read - the object is to make it obvious where the
strong beats lie. For this reason quavers should only be paried like this
when they form a larger beat ie the following groupings are incorrect:
_____________ _________ _____________
|\ | | | | | | | |\ |\ | | | | |\ |\
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--||
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ||
So now for some quaver rhymns
Every possible combination of crotchets and quavers is included in the
following excersise. Practise each bar idividually, then try putting the
whole section together. Eventually you should be able to recognise a whole
bar bar a glance.
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____ _____________ _____ _____________
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|----@|------@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|------@|--@|--@|--@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____________ _____ _____________ _____
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|----@|--@|--@|--@|--@|------@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____________ _____ _____
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|----@|------@|------@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|------@|--@|--@|------@|--@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____ _____ _____ _____
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|----@|------@|--@|--@|--@|--@|-----|-@|--@|--@|------@|------@|--@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____ _____ _____________
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|------@|--@|--@|-----|-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|------@|------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____ _____
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|------@|------@|-----|-@|------@|--@|--@|------@|------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____ _____
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|----@|------@|------@|--@|--@|-----|-@|------@|------@|------@|--@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____________
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|----@|------@|------@|------@|-----|-@|--@|--@|--@|--O|-------------||
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ||
Once you've mastered each bar of the above individually you should be able
to sight read these rhythms, no matter what order they're presented in:
_____________ _____ _____ _____
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|-----|-@|--@|--@|------@|------@|--@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____ _____ _____ _____
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|----@|--@|--@|------@|--@|--@|-----|-@|------@|--@|--@|--@|--@|------||
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ||
Semiquaver rhythms are rwice as fast as quaver rhythms, but the patterns are
exactly the same. Provided you've grasped the above exersises semiquavers
should be of no difficulty.
Semiquavers are grouped together into pairs, much like quavers are, but with
a double tail holding them together:
_____
|\ |\ +---+
|\ |\ => | |
@| @| @| @|
_____________
|\ |\ |\ |\ +---+---+---+
|\ |\ |\ |\ => | | | |
@| @| @| @| @| @| @| @|
In addition a pair of semiquavers may be grouped with a quaver to produce a
block of notes with the value of a crotchet:
_____________
|\ |\ |\ | +---+
| |\ |\ => | | |
@| @| @| @| @| @|
_____________
|\ |\ |\ +---+ |
|\ |\ | => | | |
@| @| @| @| @| @|
and so on into bigger groups. Practise each of these paterns in turn,to see
how they relate to the previously paractised quaver/crotchet patterns.
For completness here are a few patterns using semiquavers
_____________ _________ _________
+---+---+---+ | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|------@|------@|------@|------@|--------------||
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ||
_____________ _____________ _____________ _________
+---+ | | +---+ +---+---+---+ | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|------@|--@|------@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|------@|------||
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ||
_________ _____________ _____________
| +---+ | | +---+ +---+---+---+
| | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--------------@|--@|--@|------@|------@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--||
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ||
_____________ _________ _________
+---+---+---+ | | +---+ | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|------@|------@|--@|--@|------@|--------------||
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ||
---------------------------------------------------------------
Lesson Points: Quaver and semiquaver rhythms
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I wrote these for a specific person, so I make no claims to their general
usefullness. I've posted them cause they might be usefull, and I had them
written anyway.
For the fussy who know a little more than this who want to point out that
I've not covered every posibly pattern as I claim: q h q is grammatically
poor writing, and should be written as q q-q q. I haven't covered ties yet,
and will consider these patterns when I do. It's all part of a bigger picture
- by thinking like this (always breaking down into a binary tree!) difficult
rhythms become easier. [so there!].
Ian
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