Claptoscore

Rhythm reading lessons

  1. Lesson 1 · 4/4Quarter notes and quarter restsOne clap per beat, and silence for a rest.
  2. Lesson 2 · 4/4Half notes and whole notesLonger notes: clap once and hold through the beats.
  3. Lesson 3 · 4/4Eighth notesTwo even claps per beat.
  4. Lesson 4 · 4/4Dotted quarter and eighthThe long-short figure that runs across the beat.
  5. Lesson 5 · 4/4Sixteenth notesFour claps per beat, light and even.
  6. Lesson 6 · 4/4Eighth and sixteenth combinationsGallops, reverse gallops and the dotted eighth.
  7. Lesson 7 · 4/4Syncopation and tiesNotes that start off the beat and ring through it.
  8. Lesson 8 · 4/4Eighth-note tripletsThree even claps in one beat.
  9. Lesson 9 · 3/4Three-four timeWaltz time: three beats with a strong first beat.
  10. Lesson 10 · 6/8Six-eight timeTwo beats per bar, each divided in three.
  11. Lesson 11 · 4/4Sixteenth-note tripletsThree quick notes in the time of an eighth.Pro
  12. Lesson 12 · 4/4Syncopated sixteenthsSixteenth rhythms that skip the beat.Pro
  13. Lesson 13 · 5/4Five-four timeFive beats per bar, usually felt as 3 + 2.Pro
  14. Lesson 14 · 7/8Seven-eight timeSeven eighths grouped 2 + 2 + 3.Pro
  15. Lesson 15 · 4/4Quarter-note tripletsThree even notes stretched across two beats.Pro
  16. Lesson 16 · 4/4Switching triplets and sixteenthsChange the subdivision from three to four, beat by beat.Pro
  17. Lesson 17 · 4/4Syncopation across the barlineAnticipations: notes that arrive early and tie into the next bar.Pro
  18. Lesson 18 · 6/8Sixteenths in 6/8Six notes per beat and dotted figures in compound time.Pro
  19. Lesson 19 · 4/4Funk sixteenthsSixteenths around rests on the beat: the core of funk grooves.Pro

Then play real rhythms

  1. After lesson 3 · FlamencoTangos1 2 3 4 | 5 6 7 8
  2. After lesson 7 · Latin AmericanTresillo and habanera1 e & a 2 e & a
  3. After lesson 7 · Latin AmericanSon clave1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
  4. After lesson 7 · Latin AmericanRumba clave1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
  5. After lesson 7 · Latin AmericanBossa nova clave1 e & a 2 e & a
  6. After lesson 7 · Latin AmericanCáscara1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
  7. After lesson 7 · Latin AmericanPartido alto1 e & a 2 e & a
    1 e & a 2 e & a
  8. After lesson 9 · FlamencoSoleá1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
  9. After lesson 9 · FlamencoSevillanas1 2 3 4 5 6
  10. After lesson 10 · FlamencoAlegrías12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
  11. After lesson 10 · FlamencoBulerías12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
  12. After lesson 10 · FlamencoSeguiriya1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
  13. After lesson 10 · Latin American6/8 bell pattern1 la li 2 la li 3 la li 4 la li
  14. After lesson 10 · Latin AmericanChacarera1 2 3 4 5 6

How the lessons work

Each lesson introduces one rhythmic idea with its counting and its Kodály syllables, then gives you three or four short exercises. Press Listen to hear the rhythm with a click, then Clap it: after one bar of count-in, clap (with the microphone on), tap the space bar, or tap the card on your phone. Every note turns green, amber or red, and you get a score out of 100. Three stars means you are ready for the next exercise.

Practising solfège rhythm

Rhythm is half of solfège, and it is the half that is hardest to check on your own. You can hear a wrong pitch, but a rushed eighth note usually feels fine while you play it. Clapping against a click and seeing the result note by note trains you to notice it.

  • Say the syllables out loud while you clap. It keeps the subdivision in your head.
  • Start slower than the suggested tempo. Speed comes after accuracy.
  • If you are consistently early or late on every note, calibrate your latency once in the main tool. Keyboards and Bluetooth headphones add delay.

When you have finished the lessons, use Claptoscore the other way round: clap any rhythm from your own solfège book and it will write out what you clapped.