From Sound to Symbol

Reading & Writing Music

Lesson 1.3: Basic Rhythm Patterns in Simple Meter
 What is your objective?
I can identify patterns of 4 and 8 beats using rhythm syllables.
Standard(s): Cr. 1.1.6
Generate simple rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic phrases within AB
and ABA forms that convey expressive intent.
PARENTS & STUDENTS:

This objective is building on the

previous introduction to phrase,
beat, tempo, and meter. From this
new information, we will continue to
WHY ARE YOU LEARNING THIS? build our musical language
foundation by learning how to hear
rests in basic rhythm patterns in
order to identify, then use, all of
them in our own music.
 What are
beat and
meter and
how do we
identify
them?
Internalizing Music
Listen to the theme
of the Beethoven
Violin Concerto in the
brain to the right.

Memorize the
example.
Internalizing Music
Sing the theme of the
Beethoven Violin
Concerto on “loo” and
keep the beat.
Internalizing Music
Sing the theme of
the Beethoven
Violin Concerto on
“loo” and clap the
rhythm.
Internalizing Music
Challenge!
(optional)

Sing the theme of the

Beethoven Violin Concerto
while you tap the beat with
your left hand and tap the
rhythm with your right hand.
Think about what
you’ve heard:
1. Now that we have sung the theme of
the Beethoven Violin Concerto
multiple times, how many phrases are
there?
2. How many beats are in each phrase?
3. Which beats have ONE sound?
4. Which beats have TWO sounds?
5. Which beats have sounds that last
longer than one beat?
 - Rhythm syllables
are one way to
figure out the
rhythm of the
music that we hear.

- Remember that
rhythm syllables
are related to the
number of sounds
Rhythm Syllables occurring on the
(Takadimi w/ beat.
modifications)
 Sound(s)
Rhythm Syllable Notation
Rhythm Syllables on Beat

1. ONE sound on the beat = ta 1 ta

2. TWO, EVEN sounds on the beat =
ta-di
3. ONE sound over 2 beats = ta-ah / 2 ta-di
ta (hold for 2 beats)
4. ONE sound over 4 beats = ta-ah-
ah-ah / ta (hold for 4 beats) 3 ta-ah

The rhythm syllable ta is always

assigned to the beat note. 4 ta-ah-ah-ah
Sing Rhythm Syllables &
tap the BEAT.
Rhythm Notation = Number of actions
in time.
Rhythm notation indications
the number of actions as
related to the pulsation we
call BEAT.

Rhythmic sounds are

represented by symbols
referred to as notes.
Rhythmic Notation for theme from Beethoven’s Violin Concerto
“Beamed”
notes

Notes in groups are often beamed.

8th notes are very commonly beamed so you can see the notes
more easily.
Counting with Numbers in
Simple Meter
 Counting
In

Duple
Meter
 Counting
in

Triple
Meter
 Counting
in

Quadruple
Meter
Division of the Beat
 Count the theme of the
Beethoven Violin Concerto
with numbers.

How do we know that the meter is 4/4?

 Homework:
due by next class.
•Determine the meter of each of the compositions on
the next slide.

•Try to conduct each of the three compositions on the

next slide. 6 feet?

•(Optional – 3 bonus points): As you sing the theme of

the Beethoven Violin Concerto, draw a representation
indicating the number of sounds you hear in each beat.
Do not use traditional music notation.
• Take a picture and share on our next Zoom! It might make it to
our social media site… :D (with your permission, of course)
 Directions
Listen to each example.
Identifying Can you identify patterns of four and eight beats using
Rhythm rhythm syllables?

Patterns Composition #1
Sound(s) Rhythm “Allegretto” from Symphony No. 94 (“The
Notation Surprise Symphony”) by Joseph Haydn (1732 –
on Beat Syllable 1809).

1 ta

Composition #2
2 ta-di
“Allegretto” from Symphony No. 7 in A,
op. 92, by Beethoven (1770-1827).
3 ta-ah

4 ta-ah-ah-ah
Composition #3
“In the Hall of the Mountain King” from the
Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 by Edvard Grieg (1843-
1907).
 Just some
interesting
informatio
n…