Although many musicians can learn to play "by ear", in most cases beginners must be able to read the music on the score. For dancers it is essential to "count" the music to keep the rhythm and you can learn to do it too to better appreciate the pieces you listen to. To read music it is essential to know how to count it, that is to know how long each note on the staff should be played; but it is equally fundamental to understand the metric notation as well. This article describes the basic principles of counting music using 4/4 time and introduces musical figure notation.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Counting the Rhythms
Step 1. Understand what a measure is
The music is divided into measures, or beats, which are bounded by a vertical line. The notes within a measure take different names, based on how long they take up. Think of a measure as a pie that can be divided into quarters, halves, eighths, or a combination of several notes.
Step 2. Learn basic notation
The name of the notes tells you how long they "last" within the measure and you need some basic notion of fractions to proceed. A whole note (semibreve) occupies the temporal space of a measure; a half note (minim) occupies the space of a half measure, and so on.
- The quarter-note lasts a quarter of a beat.
- The eighth note (octave) occupies the space equivalent to an eighth of a bar.
- Sixteenth notes (sixteenth notes) last one sixteenth of the length of a measure.
- Note values can be combined to form the whole, for example you can find a minimum and two quarter notes to "fill" a measure.
Step 3. Practice keeping the pace
To keep a steady pace you need to tap your foot and count to four repeatedly like: 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4. For the moment, speed is less important than respecting constant pauses between one number and another. A metronome, in this case, is very useful for keeping a uniform rhythm.
A whole "cycle" of 1-2-3-4 counting equals the duration of one beat
Step 4. Practice counting the base note values
Say or sing the "A" sound as you keep counting in your head. A semibreve (whole) note lasts as long as a whole bar, so start singing "A" at number 1 and hold the sound until it reaches 4. You just played a semibreve note.
- Two minimal notes make a beat. Sing the "A" note for the duration of the 1-2 count and then another "A" for 3-4.
- There are four quarter notes in a measure. In this case you have to say an "A" for each number you type.
Step 5. Add syllables to count lower-value notes
To count eighths (eighth notes) you have to divide a measure into eight equal parts, while still striking four beats. Add the word "e" between one number and the other and count like this: "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and". Keep practicing until it gets simple. Each word corresponds to an eighth.
- Use a similar method for 16th notes. You need to divide the tempo of a measure into sixteen equal parts. A widely used technique is to pronounce "1 e-e-e 2 e-e-e 3 e-e-e 4 e-e-e". Remember that the pauses between numbers must be exactly the same.
- The same basic concept also applies to even shorter notes; however, these are quite rare musical figures and are less important for beginners.
Step 6. Understand the meaning of the point
Sometimes you may notice a dot written right after a note. This sign indicates that the note length has increased by 50%.
- A minimum generally lasts two times, but becomes three when followed by a dot.
- A quarter note occupies the space of a quarter, but becomes 3/8 when written with a dot.
Step 7. Practice with triplets
We talk about triplets when the duration of a quarter is divided over three notes. This step is a bit complex, because so far you have been dealing with a uniform subdivision, but by vocalizing syllables you can learn how to handle triplets.
- Practice saying: "1-e-e, 2-e-e, 3-e-e, 4-e-e".
- Remember that the pauses between one number and the next must be constant and you can help yourself with a metronome or by tapping the tempo with your foot.
Step 8. Get out of the box
A crown, or crowned point, is a sign composed of a point with an "eyebrow" that is above or below the musical figure. When you see this symbol, it means that you can keep the note as long as you like, regardless of what is indicated on the staff.
- If you are part of an orchestra, the conductor will decide how long you have to play the note.
- If you are performing as a soloist, consider in advance what is the appropriate duration for that note.
- If in doubt, listen to recordings of the piece to understand how other musicians handled that specific note, so you can decide how it "sounds" best.
Part 2 of 2: Understanding Metric Notations
Step 1. Find the time
In the top left corner of the score you can see several symbols. At the beginning of the staff you find the "clef", which usually depends on the type of instrument the music was composed for. Next you can find the sharp or flat symbol. Eventually you will read two numbers written on top of each other - this is time.
In the first part of the article we considered a time of 4/4 which is indicated with two numbers "4" written one above the other
Step 2. Learn the meaning of the numbers
The upper one indicates the number of beats in each measure, while the lower one represents the value corresponding to each tempo. The number that appears most frequently in the denominator is 4, which means that each measure corresponds to a quarter note.
- In a 4/4 time, the numerator tells you that there are four measures in each measure and the denominator indicates that a measure corresponds to a quarter note.
- The fraction 2/4, on the other hand, means that in each measure there are two measures, but that each one still has the duration of a quarter (crotchet). So instead of counting 1-2-3-4, you should say 1-2, 1-2.
Step 3. Practice the waltz
This type of music respects a 3/4 time signature for each beat. You can dance following this rhythm; find a piece in 3/4 and listen to it, so you will understand better what it is. While you listen, mentally count "1-2-3".
The song "Christmas Waltz" is a perfect example of this and also contains the phrase "and this song of mine / in three-quarter time" which helps you remember the rhythm
Step 4. Review the less common notation
The upper number always indicates the number of beats in a measure and the lower number the duration of the beat itself. If the denominator is 8, then each measure should contain eighth notes. If the lower number is 2, then the measure contains minima.
- A 6/8 time signature is similar to a waltz in which the beats are grouped into triplets, but in this case there are two groups. The first and fourth bars should be emphasized with particular emphasis: "ONE-two-three-FOUR-five-six". The first bar is the strongest one.
- A 3/2 rhythm forces you to count three lows for each measure. A minimum is equal to two quarter notes (quarters). To count to six consistently, emphasize the odd numbers: "ONE-two-THREE-four-FIVE-six". This way you identify where each minimum begins. Also, by counting to an even number, you can be sure to keep a steady pace.
Step 5. Practice counting while listening to music
The metric notation gives a distinctive rhythmic sound for various types of music. For example, composers often write the marches in 2/4, which are very reminiscent of the pace with which the military walk: "1-2, 1-2".
- Pop, country and other genres that are aimed at a large audience are usually composed in 2/4 or 4/4 because people like to "keep time" by tapping their foot. A simple rhythm is more pleasant to a greater number of people.
- Jazz and other modern genres often seem inconsistent, because they follow an uncommon metric like 13/8 or 5/4 and other odd subdivisions. These rhythms are hard to count, but they make you understand how the time notation affects the overall feel that the music conveys.
