Welcome to our forum. A Message To Our New and Prospective Members . Check out our Forum Rules. Lets keep this forum an enjoyable place to visit.
Check out our 2023 Group Christmas Project HERE
Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
(2 votes) 
Regulars
Offline
I’ve been working on a few random pieces lately , Ain’t no Sunshine, Nights in White Satin, My Cherie Amore are a few of them.
I’d like to know, what do you do to tackle the rhythm when you first look at a piece. Basically that’s my question.
I admit I feel like time signatures are a big black hole for me and I know this is me not understanding them but I don’t see their relevance if you know how long the notes are supposed to be . Saying that, I do understand how a waltz is different and that’s a different time signature to the 4/4 … that’s as far as my time signature knowledge goes and I could be wrong ha ha !!
Anyway I’d love to know how you all tackle a pice and also how you annotate it ? Anything to do with the rhythm when you first start a piece. I find that myself singing the song the song in my head and holding the length of the words to match the notes ( well that’s what I try to ) I do do any of the ta -ta -tata or 1-e-and-a and I feel like I should be .
Regulars
Offline
Timing and rhythm. My biggest challenge. I try to start by simply clapping the rhythm out in time. Once I have that I work on the notes.
Regulars
Offline
Don't forget the key sig.
I don't know what I can do to help you if you can't infer rhythm from time-sig and notes written. Sure, if it's a song, sing it and see if you can understand how it matches the notes. But if you've got the music from a second-rate website, then the music may well not match the song properly. Generally guitar websites are written by the tone-deaf for the tone-deaf, so you should steer clear of those.
Andrew
Online
@Katie L, and anyone else wondering about this; I am not sure this will help, but it might help others. Inalways have issues learning a piece. What I generally end up doing is looking at maybe the first 3 or 4 measures, whatever I need to do what I am going to explain.
I make note of the beats per measure. I look at the notes and decide how many beats or partial beats each note gets from that measure. I then try to get the rhythm by humming, thinking, singing lala or whatever in the beats of those measure. If I still need more measure, because sometimes the first few measures just bring you in and, it seems to me, it can change. That is how I can figure out what a piece in general sounds like, rhythm-wise. For me, it does not always equate into success in playing, but it helps me to do this.
🐭
The Bumblebee Flies!
Please ignore any typos. My typing ability on a real typewriter did not transfer to these device key pads.
Regulars
Offline
Gordon said..Generally guitar websites are written by the tone-deaf for the tone-deaf, so you should steer clear of those.
id probably go to a guitar website to learn how to play this on guitar. other than that... they usually tab anyway so not much help to the aspiring violinist.
Regulars
Offline
Katie L said
I’ve been working on a few random pieces lately , Ain’t no Sunshine, Nights in White Satin, My Cherie Amore are a few of them.I’d like to know, what do you do to tackle the rhythm when you first look at a piece. Basically that’s my question.
I admit I feel like time signatures are a big black hole for me and I know this is me not understanding them but I don’t see their relevance if you know how long the notes are supposed to be . Saying that, I do understand how a waltz is different and that’s a different time signature to the 4/4 … that’s as far as my time signature knowledge goes and I could be wrong ha ha !!
Anyway I’d love to know how you all tackle a pice and also how you annotate it ? Anything to do with the rhythm when you first start a piece. I find that myself singing the song the song in my head and holding the length of the words to match the notes ( well that’s what I try to ) I do do any of the ta -ta -tata or 1-e-and-a and I feel like I should be .
So I usually try and play something Ive heard already.. most of the time more than once, because I like the tune. So Ill already know a version of the melody. The sheet music then is basically an outline because its almost impossible to find the exact version of a tune Im trying to learn.
I almost always will have to slow down whatever recording Im trying to play with. Ill try and find the notes with that recording and whatever trouble spots I hit ill refer to printed notation and see whats going on. Sometimes ill make a bowing mark or slur so i remember to try that when playing. Especially if im watching a video and can see the bowing of whoever is playing. Most times its just by feel now.
Lately i dont even play along with fiddle videos. Im using a youtube channel of a flute player. Theres a concertina channel i like too. i like irish tenor banjo but learning from that seems to lock into that feel more than i want so usually dont choose that as an instrument to learn a tune from.
thats on my own.. if its a lesson alot of time i have the version being taught so its easier.
if its a totally new tune with no reference to how its played ill look at the key, and time signature. since most all my stuff is Irish that tells me the rhythm and about what the tempo should be. Im always slower than that.
Regulars
Offline
Thanks for the interesting responses oh and meant time signature not key signatures !! Also I liked your idea Mouse of looking at the first 3 or more bars and how many beats each note gets. I’m going to try t this . Definitely helps to know the piece. I remember when I learnt Wexford Carol I had never heard the piece but somehow managed it. I think I made progress by clapping the rhythm out before even attempting to play.
1 Guest(s)
Mouse
ELCBK
