1st Rhythms
Music Room Rhythm Board
In Stella Maris, we learn rhythm by the sound of words.
Try to hear the words as you clap the notes.
Later we will learn the theory, i.e. how many beats each note gets.
Pulse
When we drum, sing, or play whistle together, it is important to stay exactly together. We do this by everyone playing at the same Pulse. Pulse is the heartbeat of music. When we tap our foot to music, or dance, or march, we stay in time with the pulse or beat. The musicians in an orchestra play at the same pulse because they follow the conductor.
How does a Rock Band stay together by playing at the same pulse?
Listen to your favourite songs and find the pulse. The easiest way to do this is by tapping your foot along with the music as you listen.
How does a Rock Band stay together by playing at the same pulse?
Listen to your favourite songs and find the pulse. The easiest way to do this is by tapping your foot along with the music as you listen.
Metre - Beats per bar,
Most of the music we are familiar with can be organised into Bars, with a certain number of beats or pulses in each bar. This is known as Metre.
The Time Signature is a sign at the start of a piece of music telling us how many beats are in each bar. 4/4 means there are 4 beats (pulses) in each bar, a metre of 4.
Opposite is a drawing of how a conductor would conduct 4 beats in each bar.
Practice conducting in 4/4. Try it at different speeds. Take turns conducting the class at different speeds. Do they follow your lead?
This is the pattern conducted in 3/4, when there are 3 beats in each bar, a metre of 3. Notice that the first beat (in black) is always straight down. This helps us remember that the first beat of each bar is often called a Downbeat. The last beat of each bar is always up (red), no matter what the time signature is. The last beat in each bar is often called an Up-beat.
2/4 has just a down-beat and an up-beat in each bar. The metre in 2/4 is 2 (2 beats in each bar).
1 (black) is the first beat of each bar, 2 (red) is the last beat of each bar.
Below is a short rhythm of 4 bars in 4/4.
Always try to hear the rhythm, i.e clap it.