Dissecting the Beat
I'm currently working on a new series of counting exercises specifically to help with reading "Pop" music (pop culture music). This series is
supposed to help develop competency and confidence reading rhythms that are easy to "feel," but typically difficult to read--at least at first.
supposed to help develop competency and confidence reading rhythms that are easy to "feel," but typically difficult to read--at least at first.
All Those Rhythms!
4/4 Time - 8th/16th Combinations (i.e. no triplets)
This is a resource I've begun developing that is focused on making sure students hit a variety of rhythms as often as possible. There are ten exercises per page addressing quarters and halves, basic eighth patterns, dotted notes, eighth rests, basic sixteenth notes, sixteenth/eighth combinations, dotted eighths, and a couple more. You could use this in a few different ways.
Here's some ideas:
1 - Use it as a teaching/reinforcement tool - count/clap, sizzle/sing, play
2 - Sight-reading practice
3 - Read it down! Once students get to a certain level, this can just be a great five minute review of a lot of rhythms they should hit often.
Here's some ideas:
1 - Use it as a teaching/reinforcement tool - count/clap, sizzle/sing, play
2 - Sight-reading practice
3 - Read it down! Once students get to a certain level, this can just be a great five minute review of a lot of rhythms they should hit often.
Dots for Days
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The Dots for Days Series is designed to work on those pesky dotted notes. Giving a variety of scaffolded exercises, this is a great way to practice and reinforce dotted rhythms. Set #1 has 10 exercises that focus briefly on dotted half notes before moving into dotted quarter notes. As always, I recommend revisiting concepts over time to build HABITS (rather than playing it all on one day). Solid rhythmic reading can definitely be developed as a habit... read new rhythmic combinations often.
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Ties Ties Ties
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Being able to read sustained notes is essential for solid rhythmic development. Practicing and correctly reading ties is a GREAT way to develop this rhythmic reading. This series focuses on reading ties in normal, but increasingly abnormal circumstances. Reading rhythm is like deciphering a code (with a time limit!!!). I recommend NOT conducting these exercises, or at least not helping with the conducting (i.e. attacks, releases, etc). I would suggest just setting a metronome and hit the ground running -- [count and clap>>sizzle/tizzle/sing>>play]. As the series progresses, make sure to focus on where notes END. If students don't end notes in the correct place, they will likely re-enter incorrectly (i.e. too early).
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Pop Rhythms
Pop Rhythms is a series that focuses on reading rhythms seen in "pop culture" music. This series dives into syncopation, complicated up-beats, and more. My first resources I created in this series stemmed from wanting to be able to play a TON of music with pep band. I began distilling common rhythms in many of the tunes and making sure to understand and REINFORCE basic rhythmic concepts. Through repetition of similar (with slight variation) rhythms, players gain an understanding that can be replicated on any tune one is trying to play.
Pop Rhythms Part II
For more resources, head over to the POP RHYTHMS section of the Cinematic Series.
There are more of the two videos below for some extended resources for practice.
There are more of the two videos below for some extended resources for practice.
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