Last Chapter: Introduction, and Understanding the Basics of Counting Rhythms
Next Chapter: Dotted Notes - Reading Complicated Syncopation
How To Read Sheet Music...
A Free Course
All you ever wanted to know about sheet music and how to read it.
Chapter Two : Reading Notation Rhythms - Free Exercises
Below are some simple rhythms you should practice once you feel confident with the rhythms explained in the previous chapter. If you are unsure of the rhythms and this part overwhelms you, go back over the last chapter and carefully memorize and practice counting and clapping the rhythms.
It's important to understand these basics before moving on. If you get ahead of yourself, you'll end up lost as things get more complicated.
To get the idea, read the following rhythm thinking of the Christmas song "Jingle Bells." Like the lesson in the previous chapter, count out loud and clap the rhythm using your hands.
If you feel confident that you understand
reading the quarter notes (
)
and the half notes (
) and the last whole note (
) then try to read the following exercise. We'll add
eighth notes (
) to our
set here now. Remember, two eighth notes are played in the space which one quarter
note takes.
This exercise contains eighth notes and quarter notes, no half notes or whole notes. Practice this while counting aloud.
Notice something different in bar three of the following exercise? This is a type of rhythm called syncopation. Don't worry if you don't understand how to clap or play this; the next chapter deals with this in more detail. I've included it here as a challenge. See if you can figure out how to play syncopation on your own. :-)
Last Chapter: Introduction, and Understanding the Basics of Counting Rhythms
Next Chapter: Dotted Notes - Reading Complicated Syncopation