Studying Rhythm (3rd Edition)

Fluency in reading musical rhythms, and accuracy in performing them, are essential skills for musicians. To help students acquire these skills, "Studying Rhythm" offers over 350 extended rhythmic studies, to be sung or spoken, tapped or clapped. Each of the thirty-one carefully graded chapters deals with a different meter or metrical patterns or rhythmic combination. The book begins with the simplest patterns in short measures and progresses to cross-rhythms and metric modulation, and may therefore be used for three- or four-year programs in musical theory and skills. Distinguishing features include:

• musically coherent studies, in such traditional simple musical forms as ternary, variation, and canon.
• studies of sufficient length to afford repetition, reinforce learning, and give practice in maintaining a steady tempo.
• many two-part and some three-part studies, providing practice in solo and ensemble performance of different rhythms and, in later chapters, conflicting rhythms at the same time.
• studies suitable not only for reading, but for dictation, improvisation, and composition.
• materials that may be used with a variety of pedagogical approaches, several of which are explained.
• very short preparatory exercises for each group of studies and
• a chapter of cross-rhythms based on patterns found in African music.

New to this edition:

• a three-part study in each chapter.
• studies dealing with septuplets.
• more studies with dynamic shapes specified, which foster performance as an enterprise in music-making.

Featuring over 300 metrical rhythmic studies in simple musical forms -- carefully graded, with short preliminary exercises -- this volume introduces readers to the basic processes and complexities of musical rhythm and helps them develop the ability to perform all kinds of rhythmic patterns accurately at sight. Suitable not only for reading, but for dictation, improvisation, and composition -- and for different methods -- the collection contains one- and two-part rhythmic studies -- mostly 12 to 16 measures long -- that are intended to be sung, spoken, and tapped or clapped. The volume examines the full range of meter studies, rests and syncopation, triplets, beats, small subdivisions, changing simple and compound meter, notes in two and three beats, four against three, four notes in three beats; three notes in four beats, quintuplets and septuplets, meters with unequal beats, changing meters with unequal beats, cross-rhythms and tempo modulation. For those interested in the rhythmic patterns most frequently encountered in Western art music.