We've now looked at all the rhythms that you will meet using quavers. However things start to get interesting when rather than playing all the notes you DON'T play the notes, ie rests. Rests can be of any length, and are written as
xxxx
Semibreve rest ----------- (block above the line) (whole rest)
minim read ----------- (block below the line) (half rest)
xxxx
crotchet rest -----{----- (quarter rest)
quaver -----7----- (eighth rest)
The best way to deal with rests is to consider what the pattern would be
if rest was replaced by a note, so lets start off with a crotchet pattern
| | | | | | |
|
| | | | | | |
|
|----@|------@|------@|------@|-----|-@|------@|------@|------@|------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
And then replace each of the notes in turn with a rest:
| | | | |
|
| | | | |
|
|----{-------@|------@|------@|-----|-@|------{-------@|------@|------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
|----@|------@|------{-------@|-----|-@|------@|------@|------{-------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
And now pairs of notes:
| | |
|
| | |
|
|----{-------@|------{-------@|-----|-{-------{-------@|------@|------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
| | | |
| | | |
|----@|------@|------{-------{------|-{-------@|------@|------{-------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
| | | |
| | | |
|----@|------{-------{-------@|-----|-@|------{-------@|------{-------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
Remember where the beat is - especially when you don't play on the first
of the bar (or the first of a group of notes), as once you loose this
reference things will fall apart.
It's important that you distinguish between:
| |
|
| |
|
|-@|------{-------@|------@|------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
and
| |
|
| |
|
|-O|--------------@|------@|------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
To do this you must pay attention to when the note ENDS as well as when
it begins. Make sure that with the first version there is a clear gap of
the appropriate length. You can check that you're playing the right length
of note by playing the rest, at first physically, and then in your head.
| | | |
| | | |
|----@|------@|------@|------@|-----|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
becomes
| | | |
| | | |
|----@|------x|------@|------@|-----|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
becomes
|
| | | |
| x| | |
|----@|------{-------@|------@|-----|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
becomes
| | |
| | |
|----@|------{-------@|------@|-----|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
You may find it usefull to tap out the notes with one hand, and the rests
with your other hand, as a means of seperating the two parts, and then just
stop tapping with you "rest" hand.
We can now try that with quavers:
First consider the full 8 quaver pattern
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--||
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ||
then start dropping notes from it
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|----@|--7---@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|--@|--7---@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_________ _____________ _____________ _________
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|----@|--@|--@|--7---@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|--7---@|--@|--@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|----@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--7---@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--7---@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____________ _________ _________ _____________
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|----@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--7--|-7---@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--||
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & ||
If you have problems with these, go back to the original version, where all
the notes are played, and identify the rhythm that you want WITH all the
notes in, then drop out the notes that are marked as rests.
The following exercise is an extension of that found in the previous lesson, but this time with notes missing. If you run into problems, play the bar a few times with the missing note(s), and then mentally remove that note to hear the new rhythm.
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|4/4-@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|-|-@|--7---@|--@|--@|--@|--7---@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____ _____________ _____ _________
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|----@|------@|--@|--@|--7---@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|------7---@|--@|--@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____ _________ _____
|\ |\ | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|----@|--7---7---@|--@|------@|--@|-|-@|--@|--@|--7---@|--@|--@|------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____________ _____ _____
| | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
|----@|------{-------@|--@|--7---@|-|-@|------@|--@|--{-------@|--@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____ _____
| |\ | | | |\ | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
|----@|------7---@|--@|--@|--@|-----|-7---@|--@|------@|------@|--@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____ _____
| | | | | |\ |\ | |
| | | | | | | | |
|----@|--@|--{-------@|--@|--@|-----|-7---@|--7---@|--@|------@|------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____ _____
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
|----@|--@|--@|------{-------@|-----|-{-------@|--@|--@|------@|------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____________ _____ _____ _____
| | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | |
|----@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--@|--{------|-@|--@|--{-------@|------@|--@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____ _____ _____ _____
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
|----@|--@|--{-------@|--@|--{------|-{-------@|--@|--@|--@|--{-------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
| | |\ | | | | |\
| | | | | | | |
|----@|------@|------7---@|--@|-----|-@|------@|------@|------7---@|--|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
_____
| | | | | | |\ |
| | | | | | | |
|----@|------@|------@|------@|-----|-@|--@|--7---@|--O|--------------|
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
The above patterns are DIFFICULT. Chances are that even experienced sight
reader would trip up at least once trying to sight read the above. Take
it a bar at a time, and play it first with all the notes in, then drop
out the notes marked as rests.
The patterns are largely a random cross section, and you're unlikely to come across anything as crazy as the exercise. Usually one bar is pretty much like the next, rather than a completly new random rhythm.
Remember to think in groups - pair a quaver rest with its partner note, and then build that as a crotchet block into the larger scheme of things, rather than trying to read each bar at the single note level.
When you can play all the patterns in this week's exercise you're well on the way do dealing with just about any rhythm you're likely to encounter.