Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman.
Today we're learning a new more advanced
method for counting the beat while reading rhythms.
Once you know this more advanced method, you'll be ready for today's rhythm challenge.
So let's come to the heartbeat mat to get started.
You're already familiar with
the fact that quarter notes each take up one full beat.
TA TA TA TA
But eighth notes can fit two inside 1 beat.
They share the beat. TI-TI TI-TI TI-TI TI-TI
Now, let's learn a more advanced method for counting the beat
called counting a subdivided beat.
In music, subdividing a beat means to split
it into equal parts.
For example, eighth notes subdivide a
beat in two equal parts.
And sixteenth notes subdivide a beat into four equal
parts.
Well, today we're going to subdivide each beat into two equal parts like this:
Let's also give ourselves a 4/4 time signature
which means we'll
count each beat up to 4, then we'll need a bar line.
And then we count again starting at 1
So before we would count the beats like this: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
But now that we're subdividing the beat, we're going to call the first half of the beat by the beat number 1,
and then the second half of
the beat we're going to say &
for each second half like this: 1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Can you try that with me?
Let's point to each beat,
and we'll say the beat number when we're on the first half of the beat, and then we'll say & for the other half.
Ready, go:
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Correct!
Now let's try counting the subdivided beat while we clap this rhythm.
You'll notice that I replaced the bar line here with a repeat sign which means once we get
done with beat 4 we'll go back to beat 1 and do it one
more time.
Let me demonstrate what this would sound like once.
While counting the beat out loud we clap.
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Now will you try it with me?
Clap while you count the subdivided beat out loud.
Ready, go: 1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Great let's try another one.
Okay I'll demonstrate it once and then
you can try it with me.
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Ready to try it with me?
Good! This time to cue us when to start,
I'm going to use our time signature. Since we have 4 beats I'll count 1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
and then we begin.
In fact why don't you count it with me? So we call that an empty measure
that we count before we begin.
Here's the empty measure, count it with me.
Go: 1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Good. You're counting a subdivided beat. Let's
try another one.
This time we have a half note. Remember half notes take up 2 full beats.
So with our subdivided beat it would take up 1-& 2-& and then we keep going on 3-& 4-&
A quarter note takes up the first half of
a beat and the second half of a beat.
Takes up the 4 and the &.
I'll try it once by myself then you can join me.
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Now try it with me.
Count our empty measure
and then we start.
Go: 1-& 2-& 3-& 4-go
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Great!
Now here's a new one for you.
Remember that when we draw two eighth notes with flags it makes the exact same sound
as if we were to draw them this way.
Two eighth notes with a beam, two eighth notes with a flag. They sound identical TI-TI or 1-&
So this rhythm would be 1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
When you have a rest and you're counting the beat, you still count it.
Remember this beat is still there 2-&,
there just happens to be silence during that beat.
So we won't clap, but we'll still count the beat to show that it's still taking up time in the music.
So count out loud with me while we clap. Here's the empty measure:
Ready, go: 1-& 2-& 3-& 4-go
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Now let's add a new kind of rest.
It's called an eighth rest, and it looks like this.
It takes up half of a beat just like an eighth note does.
In fact, if you were to add two eighth rests together it would equal
a quarter rest.
So this quarter rest makes the same sound
as two eighth rests. A full beat of silence.
For fun let's change our time signature now to 2/4,
which tells us we'll have 2 quarter note beats in each measure.
Which means we'll need another bar line here,
and here.
Now let's try clapping some rhythms using eighth rests.
Here's a rhythm made up of all eighth rests and
eighth notes.
So every rhythm that you see takes up exactly half of a beat.
We have the 1 and the & of 1.
The 2 and the & of 2. The 3, the & of
3. The 4, the & of 4.
This rhythm would sound like this:
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Remember whenever you have a bar line that's a
signal that the next beat will be 1.
We only have 2 beats in each measure.
Now I didn't do the repeat sign, but when we do it together we'll take the repeat.
Okay let's try it together now.
We'll count an empty measure of 1-& 2-& since we're in 2/4, and then we begin.
Try it with me.
Count out loud and clap.
Here's the empty measure. Ready, go.
1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Great job!
Now here's a new rhythm for you.
Now you'll notice in every beat we have a rest on the first half of the beat, an eighth rest I should say.
Then on the second half of the beat we have
an eighth note.
So it will sound like this: 1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
We call this kind of rhythm a syncopation.
Syncopation is when you have notes
occurring primarily on the second half of the beat.
Or what we're calling the & of the beat.
Now, count the empty measure with me, and
let's try it.
Ready, go: 1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-&
Great job.
Alright, let's try this rhythm.
What happened?
That's right. All the eighth rests and notes have traded places. Now we have the note on the
number part of the beat,
and the rest is happening on the &. Let's try it.
Go ahead and try it with me.
We're going to count the empty
measure and then clap and count.
Ready, go: 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Here's one more rhythm with eighth rests to try.
Take a look at it, see if you can figure out what's happening, and then we'll try it together.
Put your hands in position to clap and count
with me. Here's the empty measure:
Ready, go: 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Good job!
Now before we go on, is there another way we could have drawn this beat to make it still sound the same?
That's right! We could have just drawn with a quarter rest.
It would sound the exact same as before with two eighth rests.
What about in this beat? Is there anything we could have drawn in there to give us the same sound?
That's right, we
could have just used two beamed eighth notes instead.
What about in this beat?
That's right, that's another place we
could have used a quarter rest instead,
and the rhythm would have sounded the
exact same as before.
Now one more rhythm we need to look at
before we take the rhythm challenge,
is the dotted quarter note.
You might remember this rhythm from "Ode To Joy".
We had:
in that piece that we learned.
Now what we didn't talk about is that a dotted quarter note takes up exactly one and a half beats,
or maybe we did say that, but now that you know how to count a subdivided beat,
it will make even more sense. We have 1-&, then because of this dot it extends halfway into beat 2.
So we say 2 without doing anything
because this note is still going, and then on the & of 2
we have a note to clap. So it would sound like this: 1-& 2-&
You have to extend this all the
way through 2 and then on the & we clap.
Let's try just clapping this measure together.
Can you count the beat with me? Ready, go: 1-& 2-&
One more time. Ready, go: 1-& 2-&
Now let's try this full line. These two measures of rhythm with the repeat.
Count the empty measure with me, ready go: 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Great!
You're ready for the rhythm challenge.
All right here's your first rhythm challenge.
For this what you're
going to do is take a look at all the notes
and try to clap the rhythm while
you count the subdivided beat out loud.
You're going to do it by yourself
without my help.
Then once you've tried it I'll show you the correct answer and you can check and see how you did.
Okay, so go for it. Try to clap this rhythm while you count the subdivided beat.
Alright here's the correct answer it
should sound like this:
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
How'd you do?
If you got it right, then let's go on.
Otherwise you can always rewind and
try it again.
Here's your next rhythm challenge.
Give it a try on your own, and
then I'll show you the correct answer.
here's what it's supposed to sound like:
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Here's your next challenge. Give it a try.
Here's what it sounds like:
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Here's your next rhythm challenge. Give it a try.
Here's the answer:
We have 1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Great job today learning how to count a subdivided beat.
So you could rock on today's rhythm challenge.
For more advanced practice with eighth rests, dotted quarter notes, and our other rhythms,
you can download
the materials for this lesson from our website.
As always, thanks for watching and see you next time!
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&...
I'm tired, everybody take a rest!
Hey! Hey what are you guys doing? You're taking all the eighth rests.
Uh, you did say everybody take a rest.
Oh, I get it. I suppose I did. Hmm well there's
no rest for the weary.
I'll take note of that.
Hey!