BEAT FORMULA
Each song has its own beat and the best way to tell us the song beat is by showing on the beginning of the song. Some songs can change the beat in the middle but the composer will tell us that from that part on, the beat will be changed. The beat is like a Statement. The composer tells us what will be the "tempo" or beat of his/her creation.
In the biguining of any song you will see a SIGN and it's not a Mathematical Formula that you will have to resolve. In the song we will see two numbers on the beginning of any music sheet.
In songs we play in church only have the words and the chords. You can ask how can they play without knowing the beat? We have to follow the words. I’ll explain this later.
Anyway these numbers are not a mathematic calculation that you have to do. It’s just a simple information about the song you just about to play. It means what note and the time unity of the bar lines (time frame). I’ll explain!! In other words.. The number on the top shows how many beats each bar line is going to have and the number on the bottom shows which note is going to last one beat. You’ll notice that 90% of the songs will have a 4 on the bottom number, meaning that the Quarter note will always value one beat. Let’s go for an example.. as I told you it seems complicated but it’s not.
This is an example of a beat formula:
· Top number – (2) Tells the number
of beats on each bar line.
· Bottom number – (4) Tells which
note figure will value one beat. In this example a Quarter Note.Just take a look now. The song on our example would be like this on a music sheet: 2 beats for each bar line and the quarter note valuing one beat.
Thinking about the beat formula on the example we can tell
that this song is a two beat song.. “Country
music are normally a two beat song (2/4). You can feel the “Tum, tah, Tum, tah,
Tum, tah, Tum, tah” or count the beat like |1..2..|1..2..|1..2..|1..2.| “.
Now I hope I won’t blow your mind.. but lets go further.. You can replace the Quarter Note for other notes, faster notes like Eiths and Sixteenths. Just look at the example and you will understand.. I hope.
Now I hope I won’t blow your mind.. but lets go further.. You can replace the Quarter Note for other notes, faster notes like Eiths and Sixteenths. Just look at the example and you will understand.. I hope.
The firts example shows that in two beats you will
play four notes and in the second example you’ll play eight notes in the time
frame of two beats.. That’s fast!! Just try to do it like this with your left
hand you will do |1..2..|1..2..|1..2..|1..2.| and with right hand you will do |1,and,2,and|1,and,2,and |1,and,2,and |1,and,2,and
| You play on the “number” and on the “and” fast.
Now try to do this
other exercise with your left hand you will do |1..2..|1..2..|1..2..|1..2.| and with right hand you will do |1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8|1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8|1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8|1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8|
faster!!!! I know it’s crazy fast.. If you can do it you can call yourself a Virtuoso a nice name for music freaks!!
It takes lots of exercise to do it. But don’t give up.. You’ll only need these
kind of music if you play is an orchestra or a really fancy concert hall.. that’s
for pro’s and not for normal people like you and me.
After understanding the examples above you are able to move on and use/read any musical figure just by looking at them and telling how long each note is going to sound in each bar line, including pauses. Let me show you another example:
After understanding the examples above you are able to move on and use/read any musical figure just by looking at them and telling how long each note is going to sound in each bar line, including pauses. Let me show you another example:
Two beat song ok? In
the beginning we will repeat each measure four times just for you to
understand. In your head, taping your computer or desk or using a metronome
you’ll count:
|1..2..|1..2..|1..2..|1..2.|Ok? Now look at the first Bar Line you’ll see a …….. Half Note meaning that
you will Play and hold the note for 1..2.. two beats. Now stop and go back and
use your voice |1..2..|1..2..|1..2..|1..2.| PaAh, PaAh, PaAh,PaAh. The sound of your voice must sound for two beats.
Just repeat this exercise for 4X. Ok.. Let’s move one to the second measure: You’ll
see a Quarter Note and a Quarter Pause correct? It means one sound of one beat
and silence for one beat. Let’s go again |1..2..|1..2..|1..2..|1..2.| Pa.., Pa .., Pa .., Pa .. (Sound, silence, sound, silence). Repeat 4X. Ok.. Now go back to the first measure and
restart the song. Do not think about the third measure!! Just repeat the first and second measures 4X
but this time do the first and second measures together. If you don’t feel
comfortable do it again. Ok.. Third measure: Do you think you can handle it?
Here we go again:
|1..2..|1..2..|1..2..|1..2.| Now is gonna get crazy.. You can add an “and” between beats 1 and 2. You
will play the second note of the first beat in the “end” not in the END of the
song but in the “end” between them try it: |1 and 2 and |1 and 2 and |1 and 2
and| so it goes: |PA, pa, pa, pa, pa, pa| these last four
sound are faster just because they are 16ths notes. It’s just a question of
dividing the beat by its half.
Ok This is the most complicated part of music.. but it’s the logical part. If you understand this logic you will be able to read any music in the world. Just try it hard.. slow down the beat, literally. Start with a 60bpm beat, very slow.. try again and again.
Ok This is the most complicated part of music.. but it’s the logical part. If you understand this logic you will be able to read any music in the world. Just try it hard.. slow down the beat, literally. Start with a 60bpm beat, very slow.. try again and again.
NOW LET’S PUT THIS INTO
PRACTICE!
Think of the seconds of a clock equals to one beat, lists just the Tic, not the Tac. Tic.., Tic.., Tic.., Tic.. Ok every two seconds we have a Bar Line. Using our Musical Formula the Quarter note will sound for each second of your clock (Tic). Now if you “play” on the (Tic, Tac) You are dividing the beat for two, correct? That’s the bear for a 8th note. Do this exercise clapping your hands.. See I told you.. People will think you are crazy!! But that’s Ok. It’s for a good reason.
Think of the seconds of a clock equals to one beat, lists just the Tic, not the Tac. Tic.., Tic.., Tic.., Tic.. Ok every two seconds we have a Bar Line. Using our Musical Formula the Quarter note will sound for each second of your clock (Tic). Now if you “play” on the (Tic, Tac) You are dividing the beat for two, correct? That’s the bear for a 8th note. Do this exercise clapping your hands.. See I told you.. People will think you are crazy!! But that’s Ok. It’s for a good reason.
Clap your hands on the “Tic” of your clock.. good. You got
your Quarter Note beat. Now double the clap of your hands.. Clap on the Tic and
on the Tac (Tic,Tac, Tic,Tac, Clap, clap, Clap, clap, Clap, clap,) you got a 8th
beat. Now faster.. double the beat.. you got your 16th. Fast but very usefull.
This theory will never change Music is created and played
using it. But as I told you.. If you practice you will do it naturally. It’s
like Reading any language.. you have to learn the alphabet than put the leters
together and make it sound like a word, words together will make a sentence,
sentences together will
The most important thing is for you to understand the meaning of Half or Double and you’ll be a amazing musician. If you didn’t understand please do not go further.. stop and redo it.
The most important thing is for you to understand the meaning of Half or Double and you’ll be a amazing musician. If you didn’t understand please do not go further.. stop and redo it.
There
are others formulas for beat. We saw a 2/4 beat, there is also 3/8, 4/4 and
others more complex beats formulas. The most common beats are 4/4 used on
Ballads and Rock’n roll songs, ¾ used on Waltz, 6/8 used on slow songs etc.
It’s better to show yu some examples of songs on each specific beat:
2/4 song: I
wish i was in Dixie
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