Different Methods
A common questions is, “how do you read and write timing for guitar?” There are several different methods that guitarist can use to read and write timing for guitar. Tablature, notation, and rhythm symbolism are the three most common. Occasionally, you will see an obscure method of writing called the arpeggio method, but not very often.
Even though there are different ways of writing music, all of the methods will count time the same way.
For this discussion we are going to use notation as the example because it is the easiest, and most visual way to see how one note relates to another.
Common Time
4/4 time, also called common time, means that there are 4 beats in a measure and a quarter note gets the beat. There are a variety of time signatures, but 4/4 time is the most common. There can be 2/4 time signature, 3/4 time signature, 6/8 time signature and on and on. The top number represents how many beats are in the measure, and the bottom number indicates what “kind” of note gets a beat.
For this brief explanation, we are going to focus on this 4/4 time signature.
So, there are two things we need to know. What is a measure, and how many different kinds of notes are there?
The Measure
A measure is a way of subdividing a span of time. In 4/4 time, each measure will have 4 beats. a measure of quarter notes would have 4 quarter notes in it. Each quarter note would be worth 1 beat each.
Kinds of Notes
Whole Note
The whole note got its name because there is only one whole note per measure and once sounded, its time value lasts for the whole measure.
Playing and counting a whole note. Although you only strike the note on the first beat, you count all 4 beats:
Use the tapping of your foot as a way to gauge the beats of a measure. Each time you have tapped your foot four times, a measure will have passed. Each tap of your foot represents one beat.
When a whole note is sounded, it will ring out for four taps of your foot, or rather 4 beats.
Half Note
The half note got it’s name because there are only two of them in each measure. It’s like taking the whole note and cutting it in half: whereas the whole note is worth 4 beats, the half note is worth 2 beats.
Once sounded, the first half note takes up the first half of the measure, and the second half note takes up the second half of the measure.
Use the tapping of your foot as a way to gauge the beats of the measure. Each time you have tapped your foot twice, the time value of a half note will have passed.
The first half note, being sounded on the first beat, would be counted “one two”. The second half note, being sounded on the third beat, would be counter “three four”. Each half note lasting for the duration of two beats.
Quarter Note
The quarter note got it’s name because there are 4 of them in each measure. ( taking the whole note and dividing it into four) These are the “down beats”. A quarter note is sounded each time your foot comes down and taps the floor…..each tap of your foot representing one beat.
Each quarter note is worth 1 beat. With each tap of your foot, the first beat would be counted as 1, the second quarter note would be counted as 2, the third quarter note would be counted as 3, and the fourth quarter note would be counted as 4.
Eighth Note
The eighth note got it’s name because there are 8 of them in each measure.
Each eighth note is worth 1/2 of a beat. If the tap of your foot is worth one beat, then half of the beat is when your foot is going dow, and the other half of the beat is when your foot is going up. When picking eight notes, your pick will follow the same direction. As your foot goes down…..your pick goes down. As your foot goes up….your pick goes up
Eighth notes are counted: one and two and three and four and
For every one beat, or one tap of your foot, there are 2 eighth notes.
*** In the example above, the “+” symbol is pronounced “and”.
A single eighth note has a stem with a flag on it:
When 2 eighth notes are sounded consecutively, the flags are sometimes connected:
When there are 3 or 4 eighth notes sounded consecutively, those flags are also sometimes connected:
Sixteenth Note
The sixteenth note got its name because there are 16 of them in a measure
Each sixteenth note is worth a quarter of a beat. In other words, there are for 16th notes per beat. They are counted like this:
one eee and uh two eee and uh three eee and uh four eee and uh
Use the tapping of your foot as a way to gauge the beats of the measure. With each tap of your foot count: 1e+a 2e+a 3e+a 4e+a. (Your foot tapping the ground as you say the “number”)
A single sixteenth note has a stem with two flags on it:
When, 2, 3, or 4 sixteenth notes are sounded consecutively, the flags are sometimes connected together.
Summary:
Jim Sutton Institute of Guitar