Advanced Rhythmic Understanding
BEAT DIVISIONS
For precise rhythmic patterns it’s helpful to visualize rhythms on an analog clock face. Go around the clock circle starting with the beat on the bottom at 6 o’clock making one circle per beat. Do it slowly and note when your circling goes by 12 (duple division or 1/2 beat), 6, 9, 12, 3 (quadruplet division or 1/4th beat) and 6, 10, 2 (triplet division or 1/3rd beat). I like to count half beats as “1 and”. “1/4th beats as “1 ay and uh” and triplets as “1 lay lah”. The real problem is, if it’s an occasional triplet in a normal 1/2-1/4 division to make sure the triplet is even at 6, 10, 2 on the clock. It tends to come out at 6, 9, 12 or other variations.
I like to train people by having them move their hand up and down for the 1/2-1/4 divisions and in a clockwise circle for triplets since there is no top to the triplet as there is in the other two divisions.
THE HEMEOLA CONCEPT
The “Hemeola” concept is a very interesting rhythmic concept, but is hardly ever used in barbershop - none-the-less, interesting. This is where the beat accent shifts back and forth between 2’s and 3’s. First see the illustration of moving from 3/4 meter to 2/4 meter where the measure accent are kept steady and the quarter notes are at different speed as the meter changes. Using the rhythm clock above, and thinking of the measure bar as always being at 6, it would count
6, 10, 2, 6, 10, 2, 6, 12, 6, 12
Very similarly but in contrast, is the Traditional Hemeola, the quarters are all even and the accent simply changes between 3’s and 2’s. It’s helpful to think of two different beats going on at the same time. Tap a steady quarter note all the way thru but accent properly.
Alternate between the two lines of rhythm. The difference is quite interesting. In the 3/4-2/4 illustration above, the measure (big beat) is constant and the sub-beat changes. In the Traditional hemeloa illustration, the sub-beat (small beat) is constant and the accents (the big beat) changes. Very interesting!
Happy Singing!
Music Ed Ted
I would love to hear from you.
I appreciate any comments or suggestions.
