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Rhythm: First Steps
As described in the Strings Magazine article by Judy Weigert Bossuat.
Presented by:
The Student Chapter of the American
String Teachers Association at
Sacramento State University
Rhythm as Concept
• Grade-school children can assign numeric values to
symbols.
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• These symbols can include music notation.
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• Understanding the concept of rhythm does not
guarantee that a child will know what to do physically
with his or her instrument
Rhythm as Action
Rhythm in Action
Goals:
• Introduce and cultivate a steady sense
of rhythmic pulse.
• Introduce rhythmic values for written
notes and rests.
• Do all of the above with many children
as quickly as possible with maximum
success rates.
Step 1: Make rhythm a physical action
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Children march in time
Add left hand
Strong beats are clearly marked!
View Children March in Time movie
Step 2: Right hand “reads” rhythm
• “Notes” are played
by the right hand
tapping the right leg.
• Rests are played by
tapping the chest.
The right hand stays on the right leg for
the duration of the note or on the chest
for the duration of the rest.
This helps students learn that they
must count through rests as well as the
notes.
These are the first steps to introducing
beat subdivision as a physical
practice, not just a concept.
Step 3: Start with large note values and
progress gradually to smaller values
Step 4: Use exercises that mix up the
note values that the student has learned
• Whole notes + Half notes
• Half notes + Quarter notes
Example: Simple Rhythm with
quarter notes and rests
• View the Quarter Notes and Rests
movie.
• This is Chinaly’s first day doing these
exercises.
As the students progress to smaller and smaller
note denominations, rhythms get more and
more complicated
Concert Rhythm
Performed December 17, 2007
Try it!
Concert Rhythm
By: Mr. Stanley and Austin
• View the Concert Rhythm movie
performed by Mr. Stanley and Austin.
At this point, you can easily introduce
time signatures!
• Students have an externalized sense of
beat which will lead soon to an
internalized pulse.
• Students can recognize note values in
terms of beats.
• Students are ready to organize beats
into measures.
Step 5: Apply rhythm exercise to actual
music!
• Introduction to actual music reading.
• Clarify that the lines and spaces do not change the
rhythmic value of a note.
Now the student is ready to learn to read pitches…
Rhythm: First Steps
REVIEW
• Directs students to concepts including beat
subdivision, rest value and note value
equality, ensemble counting as well as
playing and rhythmic “body awareness”.
• Acts as an easy and effective transition to
reading printed music.
• Significantly reduces rushing in students of
any ability.
Rhythm: First Steps
REVIEW
• Aids reading comprehension by breaking
music-reading down into two parts; rhythm
and pitch.
• Should be used by any level student
experiencing rhythmic reading problems or an
advanced player who isn’t rhythmically
consistent.
• Especially for beginners and young children,
it provides a break from holding their
instrument.
“Playing a string instrument is physical,
and we want our kids to feel the rhythm
in their gut!”
(Judy Weigert Bossuat)
Brentt Rhythm
• Piece from: Rhythmic Training by: Robert Starer
• View the Brentt Rhythm Movie
Rhythm: First Steps
Presented by:
California State University, Sacramento
String Project Student Teachers,
members of the Student Chapter of the
American String Teachers Association
at the American String Teachers
Association Conference in Albuquerque
New Mexico, March 2008.