Description
In some ways rhythm is the simplest & most direct aspect of music. But in some ways it is the most difficult to completely grasp and understand. The essence of rhythm in music is to describe when an event happens. Or more broadly when events happen relative to other events. Rhythm answers question such as:
When do I play this note?
How long does it last?
When do I play the next note?
Do all the notes in this melody last the same amount of time?
Are some longer or shorter than others?
How do I know how much longer or shorter do the notes last than the notes before or after it?
Rhythmic notation is specifically designed to display this information.
So much of learning music & to play an instrument is focused on physical skills, note location, scales and chords. But none of those are about strictly about rhythm. So it is sometimes overlooked as an obvious but essential element of music. And it is vital to remember that any note, scale, chord or song you play must necessarily include the element of rhythm. Music is an auditory art that happens in time. It is at bare minimum highly organized sound happening in specific amounts of time.
These tutorials cover understanding & reading rhythmic notation in more depth & detail.
Learning To Read Music Tutorial 1
Lesson Info
