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Rhythm Counting
Section 2.1 - Eighth notes
Section 2.1 - Eighth notes
In our first set of exercises, we learned how to count basic rhythms and perform them. We will now move onto a new rhythm - the eighth note.
An eighth note receives ½ of a beat of music and can exist by itself or can be paired with another eighth note.
If an eighth note appears by itself, it has a flag. If it is paired with other eighth notes, a beam will join them together.
When counting eighth notes, we use the syllables 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Sometimes it helps to put words to the rhythms. A lot of people say “pizza” for two eighth notes.
This image shows how we used the concept of a pie graph for each beat of music. An eighth note would only be half of a pie, or half of a pizza.
Let’s practice writing in counts for exercises that include eighth notes.
Step 1 - Time signature
-What time signature do we have? How many beats are in a measure?
Answer: 2
-We will only use the numbers 1 and 2 in each measure.
Step 2 - Measure 1
-Begin the measure with the number 1.
The first rhythm we have is an eighth note. Does an eighth note take up a whole beat? No. It only takes half of the beat. So our pie chart is only half full. Our next rhythm that we see is another eighth note. When you have an eighth note on the 2nd half of the beat, we write + under it.
We have half a beat left in beat one, and that second eighth note equals half a beat. That finishes beat one. We now move on to beat 2. Write a 2 under the next rhythm you see.
Once again, we are left with half a beat for beat 2 since the first rhythm was an eighth note. Write a + under that next eighth note.
Check your measure. Is it correct? Did you put a 1 and a 2 in it?
Step 3 - Measure 2
Now, fill in the beats for measure 2. What do you think they are? Recheck what you wrote.
Step 4 - Measure 3
Measure 3 contains rhythms we have already learned. Fill in the rhythm and recheck it.
Step 5 - Measure 4
Measure 4 also contains a rhythm we already know. Write in the rhythm and recheck.
Count and clap the rhythm from the exercise above.
RHYTHM PRACTICE SHEET 2.1
RHYTHM PRACTICE SHEET 2.1
Eighth notes
Section 2.2 - Eighth Rests on the Upbeat
Section 2.2 - Eighth Rests on the Upbeat
Eighths rests also receive half a beat, but it is silent. We will notate this the same way we did with other rests by putting parentheses around the rest counts.
The first way we will learn how to count eighth rests is when they occur on an upbeat in the music.
Practice by writing in the counts for the following exercise, using parentheses when needed:
Did you recheck it? Do you have a 1 and a 2 in each measure?
The answer is:
Count and clap the rhythm from the exercise above.
RHYTHM PRACTICE SHEET 2.2
RHYTHM PRACTICE SHEET 2.2
Eighth Rests on the beat
Section 2.3 - Eighth Rests on the Downbeat
Section 2.3 - Eighth Rests on the Downbeat
Eighth rests can also occur on the downbeat of the music.
It is a little bit trickier to count when a beat has a rest on the downbeat and an eighth note on the upbeat. Many will mistakenly write the + symbol under the eighth rest, which is incorrect.
The example here shows how one would mistakenly write the + under the eighth rest.
In this example, the rhythm is counted correctly by putting the 2 under the eighth rest. Numbers are always written on the downbeats of music.
In this example, you can see that exact measure and how it is counted in context.
Now, let's add the counts to the third measure, which is all review at this point.
You will see that the fourth measure begins with an eighth rest. Remember, all measures must start with the number 1. Go ahead and write down the number 1. You will have to put parenthesis around it because it is silent.
Now that eighth rest only took up half of the pizza for the first count of the measure. We cannot write a number 2 yet because we still need to put the + from count 1 somewhere. That + is going to have to go under the eighth note that follows the first rest.
Next up, we have another eighth rest where a downbeat occurs. The next beat of the measure is beat 2, so go ahead and write the number 2 under that eighth rest, remembering to put parenthesis around it because it is silent.
Once again we run into a situation where the down beat rhythm does not take up the whole pizza pie of the beat. It only uses half of the pizza. We must write the + under the eighth note that follows to complete the beat.
Finally, we can complete the measure with the rest of the counts.
Count and clap the rhythm from the exercise above.
RHYTHM PRACTICE SHEET 2.3
RHYTHM PRACTICE SHEET 2.3
Eighth rests on the downbeat
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