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| Rhythm
Reading | | |
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| You should
take the time every practice session to work on specific rhythms. Let's first
learn a bit about rhythm and at the bottom of the page you can choose from a variety
of cool rhythm exercises: The time signature
is placed after the treble clef. | | | |
 | | Any
key other than the key of C major/ A minor would have sharps (#) or flats (b)
placed between the Treble clef and Time Signature. | | |
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The top number tells us how many beats we can
have in each measure.
The bottom number tells us what type of note
gets the beat. (This is also how long the whole note will be held
for)
The 2 measures below
are divided by a bar line.
The double bar line at the end represents the end.
Common time (C) is the same as 4/4
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| All
the examples on the right have a metronome set at 60bpm (beats per minute) and
all are common time (4/4). 60bpm is the tempo. The
quarter note gets the beat in common time (4/4) and with the metronome set at
60 it would be the same as the second hand on a clock.
Please note: The time signature does not have anything to do with the tempo (speed)
of the song. The time signature tells us what of type of note gets the beat and
how many beats are in each measure.
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Whole note
Worth
4 beats in 4/4 orth 4 beats in 4/4
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The whole note is held for the value
of the bottom number in the time signature. In 4/4 or Common time the bottom number
is 4 and so the whole note is held for 4 beats. Because the top number is also
4 we can only have 4 beats in a measure. Since the whole note is worth 4, we can't
fit anything else in this measure. Listen
midi file for slower connections (right click to open in new window) | |
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| Half
note
Worth 2 beats in 4/4
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The half note is worth half of the
whole note.
So if the whole note is worth 4 beats, the half note is worth
2. As long as the top number is 4, we can have 4 beats which means we can put
2 half notes in the measure.
Listen | |
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| Quarter
note
Worth 1 beat in 4/4
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The quarter note will be worth half
of a half note. So in the case of 4/4 where the half note was worth 2, the quarter
note will be worth 1 and we could have 4 in a measure. Listen | |
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| Eighth
note
Worth 1/2 a beat in 4/4
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The
eighth note is worth half of the quarter note. Which means it is only worth half
of a beat. 2 connected together would be worth 1 beat and we could put a total
of 8 in a measure. Listen | |
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| Sixteenth
note
Worth 1/4 of a beat in 4/4 
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The sixteenth
note will be worth half of an eighth note. So a single sixteenth note in 4/4 time
would only be worth 1/4 of a beat. You could play 4 sixteenth notes in one beat
and 16 in a measure.
Listen | |
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The exercise to the left uses just your open G string.
Listen | |
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Below you can compare 4/4 with 6/8 time. Notice
with each new note value it is half of the previous note value. | | | |
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4/4
- Whole
= 4
- Half = 2
- Quarter
= 1
- Eighth = 1/2
- Sixteenth
= 1/4
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6/8
- Whole = 8
- Half
= 4
- Quarter = 2
- Eighth
= 1
- Sixteenth = 1/2
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Are
you ready? Pick a video lesson below: Erotomania
- Dream Theater - crazy changing time signatures and a great finger gymnastics
workout. Knockin
on Heavens Door - Bob Dylan - easy open chords and a great strum pattern SignUp
to learn more about different time signatures and a complete online guitar method
designed to have lots of fun while learning what you need to know to become the
player you want to be! | | | | | |
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