An equal division of a beat is called the subdivision, and the syllables are used to represent the different types of division. This is an important because almost everything you write, musically speaking, relies on subdividing the beat!

You can divide the beat into any number of equal subdivisions. For this class, we are going to focus on three different types:

The most basic way to divide a beat is to split it in half. Musicians refer to this subdivision by the term 8th note. This style of subdivision is easily felt in music like marches and disco (two words that are rarely used in conjunction). 8th note subdivision is easily felt by tapping your foot to the steady beat. The main part of the beat is where your foot touches the ground; the subdivision is when your toe reaches stops in mid-air before going back down.

We always count this subdivision by adding the word "and" (represented by the + symbol) in between the beats.

Here is a graphical representation of 8th note subdivision:

Another common method of subdividing the beat is to split it into 3 parts. Musicians refer to this subdivision by the term triplet subdivision. Triplet subdivision will give your rhythm more of a swinging, swaying, or skipping feel. Triplet-style subdivisions are the backbone of swing, which was first popularized with jazz music and continues to be an important part of pop music today.

We always count this subdivision by adding the words "pl" and "let" in between the beats.

Here is a graphical representation of triplet subdivision:

The last method of subdividing the beat we will use is splitting the beat into 4 equal parts. Musicians refer to this subdivision by the term 16th note subdivision. 16th note subdivisions are commonly found in both rock and hip hop, but can be present in any style of music. 

We always count this subdivision by adding the syllables e, +, a in between the beats (don't forget that our + sign means "and").

Here is a graphical representation of 16th note subdivision:

For the subdivision check-in, either perform live for your teacher, or record a video and upload it. 

You will speak the subdivisions in time with the YouTube video below:

For this project to be considered complete and receive full credit, it must meet the following minimum criteria:

1. Student will perform all written subdivisions in tempo with the video with 90% accuracy.

Following your performance of the Subdivisions Test, please fill out the following google form. There are no wrong answers, so feel free to be honest about your performance. All self-assessments are graded based on completion.

CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE SUBDIVISIONS SELF-ASSESSMENT FORM