Reading Rhythms

Lesson Three

Reading Music: Pitch and Duration

Duration: Quarter Notes & Eighth Notes In the second lesson on duration you that one quarter note lasts for one beat and that two eighth notes also last for one beat. When you are clapping a rhythm try saying the following syllables for each of the following notes:  quarter notes - tah

 eighth notes – ti-ti

RHYTHMIC EXERCISES Try clapping the following rhythms and saying the syllables at the same time. The first few times you may want to use the sound file to help you. 1

2

3

4

5

k k kkk kkkkkkk k kkk k k kkkkk kkk kkk

6

7

8

9

10

k kkk k kk k k k kk kkkkk kk k kkkkkk kkkkk k

Sight reading melodies One way of learning to sing melodies is to use a system called tonic solfa. Each individual tone is assigned a name. Regardless of whether you start at a low pitch or a high pitch, all notes relate to each other using the same solfa names and the same relative distance between pitches. The first three pitches that we will use are called: me re

doh

Melody # 1

d2 k kk k kkk kk k k k kkk kk kkkk k k a 4 d

r

d

r r

m

d

d d d

d d r r

m m m

d d r r

 Clap the rhythm of this melody saying the syllables tah and ti-ti. Listen to the sound file and try singing the solfa names as you listen to the file.

Now try clapping the rhythm and singing the solfa names at the same time as you listen to the file. Now sing the melody and clap the rhythm without the sound file.

d

d

Melody 2

d2 k kkk kk kk kk k a 4k d

r

m m r

d d m m

r r d

Follow the same procedure with the next four melodies.

Melody 3 d2 k k k k k k k k k k a 4 d r d

d m d

d

r

m

d

Melody 4

d2 k k k k k k k kk a 4 m

r

d

r

m

d r

d

d

Melody 5

d2 k k k k k kk kk kkk a 4 r

m

d d r

d d d r

m r d

Major Scale d4 a 4j

j

j

j

i

d

r

m

f

s

Now you are ready to sing the first five notes of the major scale. A major scale begins and ends on the same note and it is mad up of eight notes pentatonic scale. Sing the scale as you play the sound file: do-re-me-fa-so

Writing Music One of the very useful skills is the ability to write down music which you hear. If you were to write down only the rhythm, we refer to this as a rhythmic dictation. If you write down the melody and the rhythm together, we refer to this as melodic dictation. The following slide contain three rhythmic and three melodic dictations which you can do using the Noteworthy Composer Program.

Taking dictations On the next slide you will be asked to write down the rhythms and melodies you hear using musical notation. Rhythmic Dictation: Using the Noteworthy Composer software write down the rhythms that you hear using quarter notes and eighth notes. When you are done, place the cursor at the beginning of the exercise and use the play back function “F5” to listen to your answer. Melodic Dictation: Listen to the sound file and try singing it using the solfa syllables. Now try clapping it and saying the rhythm syllables. Finally, using the Noteworthy Composer software enter the correct notes and rhythms. When you are done, place the cursor at the beginning of the exercise and use the play back function “F5” to listen to your answer.

Dictations 

Rhythmic Dictation

Use eighth notes & quarter notes. – Ex.1 – Ex. 2 – Ex. 3



Melodic

Use eighth notes & quarter notes & notes d, r, m. – –

d2 Ex. 1 a 4k starts on d d4 Ex. 2 a 4k

starts on d – Ex. 3 starts on m

d2 k a 4