Contemporary Rhythms: Volume One:
Sight Reading Exercises
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
| Q | own three rhythm series books (with plans to purchase all of them when money permits).
Rhythm Primer Rhythms Volume 1 Contemporary Rhythms Volume 1 I noticed in both the Rhythms Volume 1 and Contemporary Rhythms Volume1 that each exercise is ten pages long and they look very similar. Would you tell me what each book in your series (all of them) is meant to teach me? How would be the best way to practice out of them? |
| A | Rhythms Vol. 1 gives you every combination of eighth note rhythms with rests and ties. Once you finish this book you have read through all the rhythms within one measure that exist in music.
Contemporary Rhythms uses the same rhythms but is written out in more modern notation which breaks the imaginary barline (4/4 measures are traditionally notated by dividing the measure into two beat segments). Contemporary Rhythms helps your eye read through notation patterns that don't divide a measure into two beat segments (in other words they break the imaginary barline). The books are meant to teach you how to read all rhythms and meters found in music. Some guitar students also use these books to develop right hand technique. I usually recommend you work through the books in the following order: Rhythm Primer Rhythms Volume One Rhythms Volume Two Odd Meters Rhythms Volume Three Contemporary Rhythms Volume One Contemporary Rhythms Volume Two You can work on more than one book at a time. For instance freshman students at NYU, Princeton, New School work through: Rhythm Primer Rhythms Volume One Rhythms Volume Two at the same time. They usually have to read through these books twice in order to reach the recommended tempos: Rhythm Primer: see practice suggestions in book Rhythms Volume One: half note equals 120 metronome on 2 and 4 Rhythms Volume Two: quarter note equals 120 metronome on every beat Odd Meters: eight note equals 200. Usually don't use a metronome when playing exercises Rhythms Volume Three: quarter note equals 60. Metronome on quarters though you may want to start with metronome on eighths Contemporary Rhythms Volume One: same as Rhythms Volume One Contemporary Rhythms Volume Two: same as Rhythms Volume Two |
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