Jake Grimsley

MUED 373

Hammel Chapter Summary

Oftentimes students are first introduced to rhythm through a sort-of rhythm period,

breaking each note length down mathematically. For example, there are two half notes in one

whole note, and there are 4 quarter notes in two half notes. This instruction can get to very small

valued notes, but usually gets there only over time. Those who already have a great sense of

rhythm are much more likely to understand this, as they already have a good grasp of what a beat

is. This means that the most helpful way for students to learn rhythm overall is to learn

beat-keeping first, through a variety of different possible activities. These could include clapping

along to songs, dancing in tempo, you name it. It is very important that beat be the first thing to

come though. Next you can focus on macrobeat and microbeat. This is basically the rhythm

period referenced above, just used in a bit of a different way. A way to do this is to first have the

students clap a macrobeat while the teacher claps a microbeat. Next, the students clap the

microbeat while the teacher claps the macrobeat. Then, you may split the students into two

groups, one doing macrobeat and one doing microbeat, then reversing the two. Some young

students may have trouble with this, but even some very young ones may excel, in which case

you can wind forward and offer them another choice of performing the macrobeat and the

microbeat at the same time, be it through drumming on one’s legs or through singing a microbeat

while clapping the macrobeat. There are many ways this could work.