es SD GD GD DD aD aDiaD aby BASS & GLITAR READING. MUSIC OR GOLF CLUBS ON FENCES HAVE ENOWN 3 OL. 1 amy a aa ae GD aD aD 1 aD aD aan ‘| BY CHARLIE FECETER . las rom wm ot ty ty tr hy oo fe wt | Bi eave anne 1 ap aa 1 D> Ve@vannes aan AL =Foreword Table of contents Table of Contents introduction How To Use This Book MODULE 1 - Eighth Notes in Two Beats MODULE 2- Adding quarter Note Symbols NopULE 3- Combining two Beat Patterns MODULE 4 - Playing Full 4/4 ahythns MODULE 5 - Playing Dotted Quarter and dotted Half Notes MODULE 6 - Review MODULE 7 - Playing Tied ‘Rhythms NODULE 8 - Playing Accented hythas NODULE 9 - Playing Triplet Rhythns MODULE 10- Playing Staccato Rhythns i ua 14 24 32 40 aa 36 64 rRMopULE 1 OBJECTIVE: Play written eighth note rhythms, We are using three music symbols: T1 = eignen notes; >} also = eighth notes, and; 7 = eighth rests. ‘The notes tell you to make sound; the rests tell you to be silent. Tf you tap your foot on each beat while you play, there are two eighth things in each foot tap: ‘Two eighth notes or two eighth rests or one note and one rest (see Example 1). EXAMPLE 2 é < S&n45 2 aa 3am AND The terms “dovmbeat" and “upbeat” may be thought of as names for the direction your foot moves, i.e.; the first rest in Example 1 is on the upbeat of three and the second rest is on the downbeat of four. You see the {at the beginning of Example 1. At present, the only important thing that symbol is telling you is that there are four beats in a measure. Most of the music you hear these days is written in # time. There are two things that rhythmic notation tells you: 1) WHEN to attack the note, and; 2) how LONG to let the note ring. We are concerned only with attacks in this unit, We are also concerned only with the rhythms in half of a { measure (or two beats), (How many eighth things are there in two beats?) Example 2 is the entire list of attacks possible with eighth notes in half a bar (measure) of 4 time. Your project is to hear the sounds of these rhythms when you see the music notation. As you can see, there are only sixteen different possibilitic TE you recognize three new rhythms per day, you'll have them all in six days. Example 2 appears on the following pagLea READ IT BACKWARDS, TOO. 10Bm C#m Bm Cm Dm? G7 Dm? Gi Dm? Gq Coal? Em? Bm 7 Am D2 = = << Gm a F ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY?IS THE MUSIC WELL LIT AND PLACED AT A COMFORTABLE DISTANCE FROM YOU? 2/ Ba ee e ahs peaMooute 2 OBJECTIVE: Recognize and play quarter note symbols. > We are adding two new syabols to the three ve learned in Unit one J = quarter note, and; 7 + quarter rest. The quarter symbols get one beat each. Another way of looking at it is to say that one quarter note (or rest) is equal to two eighth notes (or rests). In Unit One, we used a symbol -- either a note or a rest -- for every downbeat and every upbeat. With the introduction of quarter notes and rests, there will now be some downbeats and upbeats that won't have symbols written on them (see Example 1), EXAMPLE 1 bof 2 tf styt ‘ awd 2 aw 3a a You see that there is nothing written on the upbeats of 1, 2 or 4, The quarter symbol on each of those dombeats takes care of the entire beat. Look at Example 2. It looks like last unit's example 2, except that in sone places, you see two or more different ways of writing the same attacks what, then, is different about the two measures? it's the du Of the notes. (In the examples where we replaced two eighth rests with one quarter rest, the only difference is that we have made the bar a little cleaner or less cluttered.) EXAMPLE 2 ‘ion, or length 14PS SS ee pSEXAMPLE 2 (SONT.). Your project is to see and hear the similarities and differences between the eighth note versions and quarter note versions of our sixteen rhythms. Please notice that there is no aural (hearable) difference between eighth and quarter notes when you clap the ryhthms. To hear the difference, you i must sing or play the notes. 16MODULE 3 ‘To combine our two beat rhythms into full 4/4 measures. ‘The focus in this unit is on quick recognition of our two beat rhythms. The only new factor is that you no longer have two beats of rest to study the up- coming rhythm, All that this means is that you must trust your first im Preasion as you see each two beat pattern and keep your eyes moving on to the next pattern, There are two eye movements that you should be aware of: + DO. NOT LOOK BACK at a rhythm pattern to check your accuracy. Gnce you've played the notes, there is nothing you can do to change the sound, and; Physically pull your eyes forward to the next pattern. Do Rot stare at the rhythm you're playing, Remember, the focus is on quick recognition, See each two beat rhythm pattern as one picture, 24READ IT BACKIAADS, 750.MpS SSMODULE @ OBJECTIVE: > play full 4/4 chythns. ‘This unit's assignnent is very simple: Read and play rhythms in normal, common (4/4) time in standard notation. The only difference between last unit and this one is that you no longer have the measure divided for you (in contrast with Unit Three, where the two-beat pieces were indicated for you by the dotted line between beats 2 and 3). You assignment is to recognize the downbeat of 3 and use that information to clarify a four-beat rhythm as merely two two-beat chunks that you have been playing during the previous three units. 32FOCzS on UNFOAMILIAR PASSAGES.Sa SesOBJECTIVE: To play dotted quarter and dotted half note rhythms and to play half note rhythns, When a note head is FOLLOWED by a dot, the note’s normal value is increased by $08, A quarter note occupies the Same amount of time as two eighth notes. When a dot follows a quarter note, the value is increased to three eighth notes (one beat plusone half a beat = 3/2 beats, or three eighth notes), See Figure 1. EXGURE 1 th beats + 4 beat = 2 beats a ‘the halt note (d ) occupies the sane anount of time as two quarter notes, ox two beats (in x/4 time), The dotted half note ('d-}, therefore, equals three beats. This leads to one exception to the rule that you must always be able to see the dombeat of 3 in 4/4 tine (See Figure 2). FIGURE 2 3 beats + 1 beat = 4 beats 40FOCUS ON UNPOAMILIAR PASSAGES.DON'T STARE AT WHAT YOU'RE PLAYING: a LOOK AHEAD.MODULE 6 OBJECTIVE: To read dotted quarter notes and dotted half notes in a normal bar of 4/4, ‘To review and consolidate all rhythns studied thus far. Your attention should be focused on: 1. Quick recognition of the two-beat rhythm patterns; 2. Trusting your first impression (at this point, you are better off taking a quick glance at a rhythm and trusting yourself even if you periodically misread a rhythm - do Rot fall into the trap of locking back to check yourself); Keeping your eyes moving ahead to the upcoming chythn (remember, you can't perform it correctly until you have perceived it correctly); and Playing the rhythm in the pocket (good reading means playing the music as if you are improvising it). READING Darth: Play or clap the following rhythms in any combinations, Keep the beat steady and do not pause between bars. 48UE ATH30en eae SSSREAD IT BACKWARDS, 700.Em? APT EX? ADT Daas? Dbmas? — + = ssrSS = Soe ae: EXT Ab] E%®7 Ae? DPmast Daal? DPmas? ve + =a = a] D C dD c SSS] Fas? Bhan? BathsMODULE 7 OBJECTIVE: Recognize and read tied rhythns, Took. Its very simple. when a curved line connects two note heads, you pick the first note as usual, You let the string ring uninterruptedly for the full duration (time value) of both notes (see Figure A). EIGURE A 7 Te Ton There is nothing more to say. —_ == : y 56 =eSING THE RHYTHMS.SING THE aHYTHMS. 62beets ae SSS | a SS SSS | | | pestis fre ante ee Stee erate eeMODULE 8 OBJECTIVE: To read and play accents, There are two (2) symbols we will be looking at in this unit: > and " sfz "(or sf). Both symbols tell you to attack the note harder (louder) than the unaccented notes around it and let the note sound for its full weitten value. The accent mark (> ) is placed above or below the note head it's modifying, It tells you to sustain the note at its louder (accented) volume level (see Example 1). BSS emuatittononse ‘The sfz (or f&)symbol is written beneath the note it modifies, rt tells you to attack the note strongly and sustain it at its normal volune (si Example 2). EXAMPLE 1 EXAMPLE 2 Now that you know the difference between the two symbols, you should also know that guitarists and bassists can't normally execute a true sfortzando ( sfz ) (a double bass player using a bow can, however), so you may treat the s€2 as an accent.soz > > > 66 :67sfz sfz > > 68DO NOT STOP FOR MISTAKES. >?70MODULE 9 OBJECTIVE: To read and play triplet rhythms. 7 ‘The rhythms you have been playing thus far have been based on the process of dividing the beat into ‘wo (2) equal parts. ‘Triplet rhythms divide the beat into three (3) equal parts (see Example 1), EXAMPLE 1 F OS The symbol“S” indicates that a unit of time equal to ONE BEAT OR LESS is to be divided into three (3) parts rather than the customary two (2) parts. A complete understanding of (and a well-developed feel for) eighth note triplets is required before you move on to quarter note or half note 7 triplets, Use Example 2 as a drill. EXAMPLE 2 ba ee between them again, Sonetines, when you are to reyeat a section from the Oe Le - ge ee eee er ee ge When you can play eighth note triplets properly, you have the ability to play = quarter note and half note triplets as well. Just as two eighth notes equal one quarter note, two eighth notes under a triplet symbol equal one quarter note under a triplet symbol (see example 3). 2 EXAMPLE 3 za “a> QS RTo play quarter nove triplets evenly (three att+cks over tuo beats), think of two beats worth of eighth note triplets (see Example 4), EXAMPLE 4 a Bd = TSS 123 Then, accent every other eighth note triplet (see Example 5). EXAMPLE 5 a» DD > > > >SB tas Finally, leave out the uaccented attacks (see Exauple 6). QE 3 Ex. 6 eer ry Mowe that the symbol for a triplet subdivision of more than one beat uses a bracket (= 3——1) rather than a curved line ( “I™). see Example 7 for the proper’ interpretation of half note triplets (you should know that half note triplets are relatively uncommon beasts). 12> 12% 12 B sas 2=—— ———- t 15Focus on UNFOAMILIAR PASSAGES. 76Ds PLACED AT A COMFORTABLE IS THE MUSIC WELL LIT AND3 9MODULE 10 OBJECTIVE: To read and play staccato and short accents ‘Thera are two (2) symbols in common use that tell you to sound a note for about half of its written value: A dot above or below the note head (not o following the note head -~ see Unit 5 for that symbol) and (A ) written above or below the note head (see Example 1), EXAMPLE 1 a AAAA > z ooce As you can see, the staccato dot indicates only that you sound the note for half of its value and observe the remainder of the note’s value as a rest. cae ‘The inverted V symbol, however, tells you to accent the note and to play it staccato. Sometimes, especially when a note has its stem going up, the A is written as V (see Example 2). es EXAMPLE 2 A Aa AA A “A oe ~~ 80EXAMPLE 3 8110 - ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLYSSSFOCUS oN UNFOAMILIAR PASSAGES. 8s86