NOTE FOR STUDENT AND TEACHERS READ!!!

² On studying rhythm — Notes for students and teachers Music is sometimes defined as ―sound organized in time.‖ A large part of the temporal or ―time‖ element of music is what we commonly call rhythm. I should be clear from the beginning that what we are really studying is for the most part ―Western tonal rhythm the rhythm that developed along with Western tonal music. Western tonal music refers to music derived from the art music and to some extent the folk music of western Europe over the last 400 years or so. Tonality, the organization around a focal pitch we call ―tonic,‖ is the most distinctive feature of this music. It is so pervasive in European-American culture that we often take it for granted. The rhythm of tonal music is also distinctive, and very different from the rhythm of music that is not tonal or music from other parts of the world. How these musical traditions are different is not terribly important right now, but we should acknowledge that the kind of rhythm we are studying is the kind found in Western tonal music. Using this book will help you learn to read and understand tonal rhythm, and perform it accurately and confidently. Don‘t rush too quickly through the early, seemingly easy exercises. From the outset work carefully to build good habits, to master the conducting beat patterns, and to learn to pay attention to tempo, dynamics, and articulation markings. It is fine to perform the exercises in ways other than those specified—with other tempos or articulations—but they should never be done in a thoughtless and unmusical way. Always perform musically. Listen for the phrases and gestures that move the music along. The idea that music has a sense of forward motion is very much a characteristic of tonal music. Don‘t neglect the motion just because you are working primarily with rhythm. If an exercise begins with a pick-up, subsequent phrases are likely also to begin with a pick-up. Breathe at the phrases breaks (notated or not) and not after the first note of two of the new phrase. Never perform the exercises in a boring monotone. Use your voice to show the direction of the line, the high and low points, and cadences.

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