tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78327220504286362682011-04-21T13:06:20.356-05:00This blog was created as an extension of Klotz Guitar Studio in Chicago, IL. I will be posting lessons here, as well as various thoughts on music and events worth checking out in the Chicago area.Eric Klotzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15861718759243925428noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7832722050428636268.post-8470307303801898862008-09-12T23:33:00.036-05:002008-09-13T02:10:38.403-05:00<p>This post will explain some basic rhythmic concepts that will need to be understood for future posts.</p><br />Music has an underlying pulse or beat. In most music it is fairly obvious and it is likely what you would tap your foot to. Rhythmic notation is a way of describing how our notes are related to that pulse. If we were to count the number of beats in a piece of music we would easily be dealing with hundreds of beats (or maybe thousands). Since this unreasonable to deal with ("on beat 256 the chord is A major" is difficult to find!) we use meter to group the number of beats into measures. The most common meter (also called "common time") is 4/4 and this simply put means that four beats create a measure.<br><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtILc9ShrI/AAAAAAAAABE/rp-qtIEk_Yg/s1600-h/common_time_pic.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtILc9ShrI/AAAAAAAAABE/rp-qtIEk_Yg/s320/common_time_pic.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245365552592094898" /></a><br><br> <big><big><big>= Common Time</big></big></big><br><br><br /><br /> In other words: measure one contains beats 1,2,3,4; measure two contains beats 5,6,7,8; measure three has beats 9,10,11,12: etc... With this system the highest we have to count to is 4.<br><br />Now that we understand the measure, we can use several types of note values to describe when a note is played (attacked) and how long the note is held (or when it's released).<br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtMUszbnzI/AAAAAAAAABM/r6GfDbHCy_M/s1600-h/wholenote.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtMUszbnzI/AAAAAAAAABM/r6GfDbHCy_M/s200/wholenote.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245370109511049010" /></a><br />A <span style="font-weight:bold;">whole-note</span> is a note that is held for <span style="font-weight:bold;">4</span> beats.</p><br><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtNn57IlXI/AAAAAAAAAB0/-zMttyQ2BGM/s1600-h/whole_note_rest.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtNn57IlXI/AAAAAAAAAB0/-zMttyQ2BGM/s200/whole_note_rest.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245371538962158962" /></a><br />A <span style="font-weight:bold;">whole-rest</span> means that you don't play for the whole measure (4 beats).</p><br /><p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtOfJbmSTI/AAAAAAAAAB8/EnqVRYx46Ro/s1600-h/halfnote.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtOfJbmSTI/AAAAAAAAAB8/EnqVRYx46Ro/s200/halfnote.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245372488017660210" /></a><br />A <span style="font-weight:bold;">half-note</span> means you hold the note for <span style="font-weight:bold;">2 beats</span>.</p><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtPGMFPI_I/AAAAAAAAACE/8u9Vfk2TM3Y/s1600-h/quarternote.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtPGMFPI_I/AAAAAAAAACE/8u9Vfk2TM3Y/s200/quarternote.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245373158744073202" /></a><br />A <span style="font-weight:bold;">quarter-note</span> is held for <span style="font-weight:bold;">1 beat</span>.</p><br /><p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtPcUgpe9I/AAAAAAAAACM/aZX01biILJo/s1600-h/8thnotes.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtPcUgpe9I/AAAAAAAAACM/aZX01biILJo/s200/8thnotes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245373538963651538" /></a><br />An <span style="font-weight:bold;">eighth-note</span> equals <span style="font-weight:bold;">half a beat</span>. In other words: there are 2 eighth notes per beat.</p><br /><p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtP7OpKdUI/AAAAAAAAACU/cEeWq6gwU-Q/s1600-h/triplets.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtP7OpKdUI/AAAAAAAAACU/cEeWq6gwU-Q/s200/triplets.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245374069964698946" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Triplets</span> divide the beat equally into 3.</p><br /><p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtQVP2N6JI/AAAAAAAAACc/XiKiCG2DlC8/s1600-h/sixteenths.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zGxlUQ_8ALE/SMtQVP2N6JI/AAAAAAAAACc/XiKiCG2DlC8/s200/sixteenths.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245374516964485266" /></a><br />Finally, <span style="font-weight:bold;">sixteenth-notes</span> divide the beat into 4 equal parts. In other words: 4 sixteenth-notes equal one beat.</p><br /><br /><p>If you develop a good understanding of these different rhythmic subdivisions and you can <span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">feel</span> the difference between them</span>, then it will be easier to use them in interesting combinations. You will also naturally feel faster and slower subdivisions like 32nd-notes or quarter-note triplets. I will post some different ideas for working with these subdivisions and expanding your rhythmic vocabulary soon.<br /><br><br />Please post any questions or comments on this lesson as it will help me to make future lessons better.<br />Best,<br />Eric</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/7832722050428636268-847030730380189886?l=ericklotzmusic.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Eric Klotzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15861718759243925428noreply@blogger.com0