Counting in 4/4 Time
Understand how measures, beats, and subdivisions work in 4/4 time - the rhythmic language behind almost every song you will ever play.
Lesson Notes
Quarter notes: count 1-2-3-4. Eighth notes: count 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and. Sixteenth notes: count 1-e-and-a per beat. Every rhythm you will ever play is built from these building blocks. Drummers who skip counting vocabulary spend years guessing at rhythms that could be read and played correctly in minutes.
Practice Assignment
Without drums: set metronome to 60 BPM. Clap quarter notes for 2 minutes counting 1-2-3-4 aloud. Then clap eighth notes for 2 minutes counting 1-and. Then tap sixteenth notes on your leg for 2 minutes counting 1-e-and-a. Do this away from the kit so all focus is on the counting.