Basics of rhythm
Definitions
Beat
The beat is the basic unit of time of music, you can see it like the pulse of a song. When you hear a song and tap your toes in rhythm, or clap along in your hands, you are actually counting the beats. The duration of a beat is defined by the tempo.
Tempo
This is the number of beats per minute (=bpm). If we take a tempo of 60 bpm for example, then each beat is 1 second long.
Beat subdivision
As the name implies, it defines a unit of time smaller than a beat. Most commonly beats are evenly divided in 2 or 4 subdivisions, althoug other values are possible. For example, if a beat of 1 second is subdivided in 4, then each subdivision is 0.25 second long.
Bar (also called measure)
A bar is a unit containing a given number of beats. In most of the music we hear there are 4 beats per bar, which is why you hear musicians counting like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. Bars are the structural unit of a piece of music: instead of being a continuous flow of beats, a song is broken down into chunks - bars - which makes it easier for musicians to navigate and organize the different parts of the song.
Tablature
A tablature is a form of simplified musical notation. Unlike sheet music, which require music theory knowledge to be read, a tablature uses a visual and intuitive notation that can be understood by everyone. For example, a guitar tablature uses strings and fingering to represent the notes.
In Notepan we prefer to use the word tablature over sheet music, because our notation system is a simplification that requires only a minimal amount of knowledge to be used.
- A tablature contains X bars
- Each bar contains X beats, most commonly 4
- Each one of those beats can be evenly divided into X subdivisions, most commonly 2 or 4
Counting rhythms
Creating music is all about playing notes at specific times. Playing "on the beat" means that you play a note on each beat. This can rapidly sounds boring, that's why we introduce subdivisions to play "off the beat" (that is, at a time other than the start of a beat). Most of the time, you'll realize that your favorite grooves and melodies are built between the beats and not on them.
With that in mind, if you want to improve your playing you need to develop a strong sense of where the beat and its subdivisions fall in time. For that matter, it is really helpful to count the rhythm out loud while you are playing. Each subdivision of the beat is associated with a syllabe that helps you keep track of where you are.
- To count beats subdivided in 2, you would typically fill in the word “and” in between each beat : 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1...
- Beats subdivided in 4 are traditionally counted like this : 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a 1...
Another popular way of counting rhythms is called Takadimi.
- 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & becomes Ta Di Ta Di Ta Di Ta Di
- 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a... becomes Ta ka Di mi Ta ka Di mi Ta ka Di mi....
You lose the beat number but it's easier to pronounce.
Breaking down the beats like this helps you visualize their structure and makes it easier to know when you should play a note or not. It is a really good exercise to count while you are playing, especially when learning a new groove. The name of the game is accuracy, not speed: practice slowly and use a metronome to pace yourself.