Reading Rhythm!Let’s Look At:

How To Count Rhythm

(When the arrow turns red, click for the next page)

Counting Rhythm

Cadence has a question:

“How Do You Count Rhythm In Music?”

Counting rhythm is very important, it proves you understand the music.

Counting rhythm is easy when taken step by step.

Let’s find out how!

Counting Rhythm

Each note in music has a specific value.

We will count that value out loud for each note.

Whole note

Half note Quarter note

Eighth note4 BEATS 2 BEATS 1 BEAT ½ of a BEAT

Let’s Review Note Values!

Do You Remember?Click each box for the value of each note!

Counting Rhythm First, we find out how many beats are in each measure using

the time signature.

Then we count the notes on each beat using the following

system: Each note has a specific value, or number of beats.

In the music example below, there are 4 beats per measure.

The first whole note would be counted “1-2-3-4,” as it is 4 beats long.

Following, the half notes would be counted “1-2” followed by “3-4,” as they are each 2 beats long.

Counting Rhythm

Using this chart, lets go over

how to

count each one of the notes

we’ve

learned to far.

Remember, this chart uses

the time

signature 4-4.

Counting Rhythm Now that we can count the notes in our music, what about

rests?

We count the rests on each beat using the following system: Each rest has a specific value, or number of beats.

In the music example below, there are 4 beats per measure.

The first whole rest would be counted “1-2-3-4,” as it is 4 beats long.

Following, the brackets under the music show what to count for each rest.

Counting Rhythm Let’s go over each example below to review counting notes and

rests in 4-4 time.

Counting Rhythm Examples

Do you remember these examples from before? Do you think you can count the rhythms? (notes & the rests!) Be sure to check the time signature before you begin!

To finish this unit, we will listen to a podcast detailing some work with counting rhythms.