Rhythm reading lessons › Lesson 6 of 19
Gallops, reverse gallops and the dotted eighth.
Most real rhythms mix eighths and sixteenths inside one beat. Think of the four sixteenth slots (1 e & a) and clap only the ones that start a note.
The dotted eighth plus sixteenth clap on "1" and "a". Keep the short note really short, and don't let it drift towards "&".
| Figure | Count | Kodály syllables |
|---|---|---|
| Eighth + two sixteenths | 1 & a | ti-tika |
| Two sixteenths + eighth | 1 e & | tika-ti |
| Dotted eighth + sixteenth | 1 a | tim-ka |
| Sixteenth-eighth-sixteenth | 1 e a | ti-ti-ka (syncopated) |
Every pattern in this lesson is built from the same four sixteenth slots, "1 e & a". A sixteenth takes one slot, an eighth takes two and a dotted eighth takes three. Eighth plus two sixteenths starts notes on 1, & and a. Two sixteenths plus eighth starts notes on 1, e and &. Dotted eighth plus sixteenth starts notes only on 1 and a.
Take one pattern and loop it. First tap all four sixteenths while saying "1 e & a". Then keep saying all four, but tap only the slots where a note starts. The spoken count is the grid and the taps are the rhythm on top of it. When each pattern feels natural on its own, mix them, because the exercises change pattern from beat to beat.
Two sixteenths plus an eighth is the famous rhythm of the finale of Rossini's "William Tell" overture. Eighth plus two sixteenths is the gallop of film scores and heavy metal riffs. Dotted eighth plus sixteenth is the skipping rhythm of marches and of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic".
Played lazily, the dotted figure turns into a triplet. That is the usual mistake: the short note should come late and quick.