Rhythm reading lessons › Lesson 4 of 19
The long-short figure that runs across the beat.
A dot adds half the note's value, so a dotted quarter lasts one and a half beats. It is usually followed by an eighth that lands on the "and" of the next beat.
Count the eighths inside it ("1 & 2 &") and clap on 1 and the second "&".
| Figure | Count | Kodály syllables |
|---|---|---|
| Dotted quarter + eighth | 1 & 2 & (clap on 1 and the last &) | ta-i ti |
A dot after a note adds half of that note's value. A quarter note is two eighths long, so a dotted quarter is three eighths long: one and a half beats. The eighth note that usually follows fills the remaining half beat, so the pair lasts exactly two beats. A dotted half note works the same way: two beats plus one makes three.
Count the eighths: "1 & 2 &". The dotted quarter starts on 1 and lasts through "&" and "2". The eighth note comes on the "&" after 2. So you clap on 1, say "2" without clapping, and clap again right after it. Marking the silent beat 2 with a nod or a foot tap is what makes the short note land in the right place.
This long-short figure runs through songs and hymns. "Deck the Halls" begins with it: a dotted quarter, an eighth, then two quarters. "God Save the King" has it in its second bar. Once you can clap it reliably, you will start to recognise it by ear.