Half Notes

Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman.
Today we're going to be dictating the rhythm to the song "Chocolate,"
and along the way we're going to discover a new kind of rhythm.
Let's come to the heartbeat mat to get started.

Okay, I'm going to sing "Chocolate" while touching the steady beat,
and you just listen and tell me what you notice at the end:
"Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum,
Chocolate, I have some."
Did you notice any words that lasted longer than one beat?
I'll say it one more time, and see if you can point to the beat
where there's a note that lasts longer than a beat: Buh buh buh buh buh.
Yeah, you probably noticed that here we had one sound on:
"yum, yum, yum, yum, yum,"
one sound that actually took the space or the time of two whole beats.
The symbol we'll need for that is this: it's called a half note.
You'll notice it has a stem and a note head just like our friend the quarter note,
but instead of being filled in, it's empty inside.
So I kind of like to imagine that the half note has an empty stomach,
which is why it eats two beats instead of just one. See, he's kind of hungry.
So try to say this with me: "half note."

Now, in these beats, did you notice what we had? Buh buh buh buh.
How many sounds did you hear inside this beat?
Buh buh: that's right, there were two sounds, so we'll need eighth notes.
A pair of two eighth notes notes makes TI-TI, and then what did you hear here?
Buh buh buh buh buh: that's right we need two more eighth notes,
so, when we're using rhythm language, I like to say TWO-OO for the half note,
since it lasts for two beats, so we could say TI-TI TI-TI TWO-OO.
And then, what happens down here? Buh buh buh buh buh buh.
That's right, it's the same rhythm again: TI-TI TI-TI TWO-OO.
Now, point to each beat with me, and let's say the rhythm words. Ready, go:
TI-TI TI-TI TWO-OO, TI-TI TI-TI TWO-OO.

Now we've dictated the rhythm to "Chocolate."
If you download the materials for this lesson from the website,
you can practice drawing these yourself in the open heart beats,
and just remember to give the half note two beats.
You'll draw it in the first beat, and then leave the next beat blank
because that half note's got to keep going.

So, let's review all the rhythms we've learned so far.
Our new rhythm today is the half note. Can you say that with me? Half note,
and it was kind of slow like this, TWO-OO, TWO-OO,
with each half note taking the time of two beats.
We've got our quarter notes. You can do two quarter notes
in the same amount of time it takes you do one half note,
because each one only takes one beat: TA TA TA TA.
And then, we have our eighth notes, which go again twice as fast
as our quarter notes: TI-TI TI-TI TI-TI TI-TI.
Let's try saying all of these rhythms from top to bottom.
Point and say them with me, go:
TWO-OO TWO-OO,
TA TA TA TA,
TI-TI TI-TI TI-TI TI-TI,
and, of course, don't forget about our quarter rest. A quarter rest
takes up the space of one beat, just like a quarter note,
but it means to be silent for a beat: rest rest TA TA.

All right let's play game. I've written two rhythms:
we've got Elephant's rhythm and Turtle's rhythm.
Now, I'm not going to tell you which one I'm going to do.
You have to figure it out by listening, so I'll speak the rhythm,
and then you say "Elephant" or "Turtle," and then I'll tell you which one's right.
Here's the first one: Bah bah bah bah. Which rhythm did you hear?
If you said Turtle, you're correct. Try to say it with me in rhythm words, ready, go:
TWO-OO, TI-TI TA.
Very good. let's try another one. Ok, here's the next one.
Tell me which rhythm you hear: buh buh buh buh buh.
Which one was it? If you said Turtle, you're correct. It was turtle again.
Try to say it with me in rhythm words, go: TI-TI TI-TI rest TA.
Okay, here's your next one: Bah bah bah bah.
Which one did you hear? If you said Elephant, you're correct.
Let's try to say it together, go: TA TA TI-TI rest.
For this next one, you have three rhythms to choose from.
Now we have Elephant, Turtle, and Mouse. Here's the rhythm: buh buh buh.
Which rhythm was it? If you said Mouse you're correct.
Let's say it together, go: TI-TI rest TWO-OO.
Okay, here's your last one. Which rhythm do you hear? Buh buh buh buh buh.
If you said Elephant, you're correct. Let's say it together, go. TI-TI rest TA.

Thanks for learning about half notes with me today,
and nice work helping me dictate the rhythm of "Chocolate."
Happy practicing, and see you next time.

There once was a Half Note.

Hello!

And because his stomach was empty...

Yes, yes, I am empty inside.

...he always asked for two o ...