The musical term for this is "SUBDIVISION".

As usual, a big word used to describe a relatively easy thing <grin>.

When we say, "8th" we are really talking about the rhythmic pattern that 8th notes have.

Even that last sentence may seem full of double-talkin' new vocabulary, right?

Here's all you have to do:

There are two 8th notes for every single beat in a tune that is 8ths based.

Count the four beats to every bar in a 4/4 song, as it plays, by saying to yourself, "One-AND-Two-AND-Three-AND-Four-AND" and you've automatically put two notes on every beat in an Even feel. That is 8ths.

Sixteenths feel, there are twice as many notes per beat. 4 notes over each beat.

"One-A-and-ah, Two-A-and-ah" etc.

Of course, this is the FEEL that the musicians are counting and it is often counted in their heads while they don't always actually play on every one of the two or four beat subdivisions. They might elect to hold a chord or note out over two or more of those subdivisions, yet accent the subdivisions as well at different times in the bar or the song part. But the feel of it will still be there.

Good drill is to play various musics of different genres at random, and practice finding the number of beats per bar, whether in two, three, four beats to the bar, etc. and then counting out loud as in the above along with the songs.

The above is best done without regard to whatever is your favorite musical genre or form, as well. A lot can be learned a lot faster by doing that little drill with all sorts of musics, all sorts of styles, all sorts of genres, etc.

And don't neglect trying it with a few Classical Music offerings as well...


--Mac

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