Understanding the Basics of Counting Rhythms

The first step in understanding rhythms is to memorize the various

notes and their note values:
whole note
four beats
long
half note
two beats
long
quarter note
one beat
long
eighth note
half a beat
long
sixteenth
note
quarter of a
beat.
It's confusing to think of something being an eighth of a beat, and you
may wonder why a note that is one beat long is called a uarter note!
"hy wouldn't it be called a whole note, since it's a whole beat#
It's because we name our notes based on the length of time they are
played within a measure, not based on how many beats they are!
Think of a measure as a whole pie, in that it can be cut into uarters
$% pieces&, eighths $' pieces&, and so on!
( whole note is called a whole note because it is played and held for
a whole measure!
( uarter note is called a uarter note because a full uarter note
takes up e)actly one uarter of a measure!
*ow that we understand why the notes are named the way they are,
let's look at the chart again:
whole note
Fills a whole
measure
half note
played for half a
measure
quarter
note
one quarter of a
measure
eighth note
eighth of a measure
sixteenth
note
sixteenth of a
measure
The ne)t step to take is to actually count through the rhythms!
Counting Through The Rhythms
(s evenly as you can, count to % like this: + , - , . , %, + , - , . , %!
/epeat the counting over and over again! Try to make sure each
number is evenly spaced! 0on't count like this: +!!! -!!! . %!!! or any
other 1ilted time! It doesn't matter how fast you count, but keep the
numbers evenly spaced!
2ou are counting % beats in a measure, so each number is the value
of a uarter note3 4ongratulations3
*ow, while counting, clap your hands only when you say 5+!5 6old
your hands together to simulate holding the note until you have said
%, then clap again on +! 2ou are now 5playing5 a whole note3
WITH METRONOME:
7et your metronome to about 89!
*ow clap with each beep of the metronome! This is uarter notes!
It is actually hard to keep :;(4T<2 with the metronome, for more
than a few beeps! Try closing your eyes to fully concentrate!
It may take several sessions, over several days, to achieve perfect
clapping or counting with the metronome! =ut it is essential,,,you
want to be able to play along with everyone in your orchestra,,,so you
need to be able to play in rhythm!
*e)t, set your metronome to about +-9! 4lap with each beep! 2ou
are 5playing5 uarter notes! $If your metronome can emphasize a
beat, use that feature&!
7etting it back to about 89, continue to count +-.%, but clap an e)tra
time between each count! It might help to say 5+ and - and . and %
and5 so you stay even! >nce you get this down you are clapping
eighths3 2ou've divided the pie into eight even pieces3
7tudy the diagram below: *otice that the eighth notes on the fourth
line $called a staff in music& look a little different than this ! Their
flags are 1oined together3 This simply makes for easier reading! The
same is true for any other note with a flag!