Hello and welcome back! I'm Joseph Hoffman.
In this lesson we're going to do some more practicing with syncopation.
Remember, syncopation is a rhythm where there is extra emphasis on the second half
or the & part of the beat.
Let's come to the heartbeat mat to check it out.
Here's our first syncopated rhythm to try together.
Can you point to where all the eighth rests are?
You should be pointing here, here, here, and here.
Remember, an eighth rest takes up half of one beat,
and these eighth notes,
they have a flag to show that they're eighth notes they also take up half of a beat.
Eighth rest, eighth note.
You see this pattern here.
The first half of the beat eighth rest, note, eighth rest, eighth note.
We would count that 1-& 2-&
Let's try that together. Can you count the subdivided beat with me while we clap?
So on the rest just open your hands, ready go:
1-& 2-&
Now, this is syncopated because we have the notes occurring especially on the &,
or in this case only on the & of the beat, and there's only rests on the first half of the beat.
And that's one of the ways we know this is syncopation. 1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Let's try this first measure together, counting the beat while we clap the rhythm.
I'll count 2 beats, and then we'll start.
1-& ready, go: 1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Now what happens on these next two measures?
Same rhythm right? Okay, so let's try the whole thing now.
We're going to start at the beginning, go all the way through.
Ready, count with me. I'll give 2 beats and then we'll start. 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Now let's try it with rhythm words for fun.
So we'll say rest for these eighth rests,
and TI for the eighth notes, TA for the quarters
Okay, ready go: rest TI rest TI TA TA
rest TI rest TI TA TA
A little bit faster this time, 1-& go, rest TI rest TI TA TA
rest TI rest TI TA TA
Here's our next syncopated rhythm.
notice this time we're in 4/4 time signature, so
we'll have a full 4 beats before we get our bar line.
So be sure to count 1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&, then we start the next beat as 1.
The beat after the bar line is always 1.
Now pause the video, and I'd like to see if you can figure out how to clap this rhythm
while counting the subdivided beat on your own first, and then we'll try it together.
Okay let's try it together. I'll count 4 beats, and then we'll start.
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Remember that this quarter note takes up
half of this beat, and then it needs half of the next beat.
The quarter note equals one full beat,
but since we're starting it in the second half it also
comes into the first half of the next beat. TI TA TI TA TA Let's try this with rhythm words now.
So we'll say TWO-OO TI TA TI TI TA TI TA TA Can you try that with me?
Ready, go: TWO-OO TI TA TI TI TA TI TA TA
There's another way we could have drawn this rhythm, and that's like this:
We still have an eighth note,
and then an eighth note tied to an eighth note is the same thing as a quarter note,
and then another eighth note. So this rhythm here
Is the same rhythm that we have up here.
Same rhythm, just drawn a different way.
Alright, our next syncopated rhythm I've taken away the heartbeat mat, because as you know in regular music
You have to imagine the hearts.
They're just a tool to help you remember where the beats go.
So now you're going to have to think about where the beats fit in with these rhythms.
I'd like you to pause the video and figure out for yourself how to clap this rhythm while you count
the subdivided beat.
So for example I'll just do the first measure. You've got 1-& 2-&
Barline means you're going to start the next beat on 1.
So pause the video and see if you can clap and count the beat
together, and then press play and we'll try it together.
Alright, this rhythm goes like this: 1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Let's try it together now.
Count with me. I'll give us 2 beats to get ready, and then we'll start.
1-& 2-&
1-& 2-& 1-& 2-&
Here's our last syncopated rhythm to try together.
Do you remember how many beats a dotted quarter note gets?
A dotted quarter note we'll get 1 1/2 beats.
So this would get 1-& 2-. 2 is the first half of the second beat,
and then this eighth note gets the second half 1-& 2-&.
Then we go on to beat 3 because now we're in 4/4,
but I'd like you to figure out the rest.
Can you pause the video, and on your own practice
clapping this rhythm while you count the subdivided beat? Remember now there are 4 beats per measure.
Count the subdivided beat while you clap the rhythm,
pause to do that on your own, then press play to go on.
This rhythm should sound like this: 1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Let's try it together now.
I'll count 4 beats to get us ready, and then we'll start. 1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Now pause if you need some more practice with that,
otherwise now let's try to have some with this
by adding a beat to go along with what we're doing.
Here's our beat.
Let's clap it together.
I'll count 4 beats and then we'll start.
1-& 2-& 3-& go!
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Now let's try it a little faster.
Get ready, here comes 4 beats, and then we start.
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
One more time. 1 2 3 go!
1-& 2-& 3-& 4-&
Now you could always pause and practice that some more, and then try it again as many times as you want.
I love syncopated rhythms because I think they're a lot of fun.
Nice work today practicing some syncopated rhythms with me.
For more practice with syncopation, be sure to download the Syncopation Theory page
from this unit's printable materials.
Thanks for watching and learning with me, and happy practicing!