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Bill Powelson's,
MUSICAL TIME & RHYTHMS:
"FINITE TO INFINITY"
Understanding
Time-Signatures and Beat Permutations.
*** Lesson Menu ***
Study the following (seven) stair-stepped-lessons, in the exact order they appear.
LESSON #1. THE 5-BASIC 4/4 DANCEBEATS.
(These are the extremely important, common, everyday, time-signature beat structures.)
FIRST THINGS FIRST: It's very important to gain a working knowledge of
the 5-Basic 4/4 Dancebeats. Learn to 'routinely' identify them as you
listen to music, on your own CDs, the radio, and all other media. This
is equally important for non-drummers. It's very easy. Most of you
will get the hang of it in minutes.
- DRUMMERS: Can you already play these beats ALONG WITH almost any song
as you listen, (though you may not play the songs 'exactly' like the
recordings?)
- NON-DRUMMERS (Song writers, guitarists, etc:) It's important that
you should gain the ability to 'hear and feel' these basic beat structures
within the music as you listen and/or play. You don't have to be a drummer to do this!
It's easy as pie! Learn to do it in this lesson. Just listen to the sound files and gain
the ability to recognize, then call each beat structure by name.
You've heard these patterns before, countless times,
in the music you enjoy every day. Now, learn to listen this new way, identifying
the specific beat structures by name, and visualizing the underlying beat structures,
as you listen.
NOTE: Many times, the hi-hat
(or secondary pulse) may actually become a repeating Arpeggio, on instruments,
OTHER than drums.
FACTOID: Approximately 95% of ALL the recorded music of the past 75 years,
has been based in these simple, 5 BASIC DANCEBEATS.
- ALL STUDENTS:
It is good to write and doodle simple variations
of the beat patterns as you hear them being played on
recordings. Begin experimenting with pen or pencil, and simple 'Xs' on
paper.
- Listen to a recording.
- Determine the basic beat flow and structure by feeling
the hi-hat flow (or secondary pulse.)
- Determine the bass/snare (downbeat/upbeat) as compared to
the hi-hat flow.
- Write what you are hearing, by imitating the 3-line beat structures
you'll see and learn in this lesson.
It's that simple! You'll get good at doing this, with just a little
practice. The remaining lessons in this mini-course are also
designed to help you eventually become a master at visualizing, then writing
any rhythm or beat pattern that may exist.
Have you ever wondered exactly, 'how many' potential beat-variations exist?
(Yes!There IS a specific, finite number of possibilities!
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED . . . ?
- How many of these beats, have been used and popularized on recordings? (Ans: Very few!)
- How many, have NEVER been used or popularized in pop-music styles? (Ans: MOST of them!)
- Is there a formula to help separate the useful beat patterns, from the less
useful patterns? (Ans: YES!)
It's important to ask yourself these questions! Yet, you are about
to make some very huge discoveries concerning them, by the end of this mini-course.
LESSON #2. NOTE VALUES, TERMINOLOGY, AND MUSIC
SYMBOLS:
Do you understand the mechanics of the note-value system? A
deeper study and 'total comprehension' of
note values may be necessary, or you could experience trouble,
as you try to visualize the big rhythm picture, within the upcoming
time-signature lesson. We need these note-value tools to help detonate the
big bomb that will follow. Though it's a little dry and boring, don't miss it!
QUESTION: (Test yourself.)
Could you start (in a very slow tempo) and play whole-notes through
at least 16th-notes, without losing or changing the tempo? You needn't
be extremely fast at this . . . but the 'note value concept' is vital
to learning the other more important things I want to show you.
(Try to play the notation 'tab', near the bottom of
this lesson, from memory. It will
be quick and easy, if you already know your stuff.
- NON-DRUMMERS: Guitarists,
song-writers, etc. You needn't worry about playing the drum-tabs as a drummer would.
Just make the mental connections, and understand those connections as they apply
to your own instrument, (or instruments.)
Or . . . play around with the drum machine program that's included with this
course. Look for drummer.exe in the files.
LESSON #3. PERMUTATIONS: Parts I & II.
BE CERTAIN you thoroughly understand the PERMUTATION
concept. It's vital towards helping you see the much bigger picture within
the upcoming time-signature lesson. This material is rarely taught in
music theory.
MATH BUFFS and computer programmers may already have a general
idea concerning the musical-implications of these concepts, yet it will be wise to
visualize exactly, the very simple and practical way it all connects to the music we hear playing around
us every day, on CDs, radio, etc.
NON-MATH-BUFFS: Don't worry! We won't be studying
the fine points of 'Linear Algebra', here. It'll be totally clear, without seeing
even one equation, Algebraic-formula or finite-math problem.
STUDY BOTH PERMUTATION LESSONS, until you can visualize, thousands,
even millions or billions of 8th rock beats within your mind's eye. Write
a few of these real beats on paper. Play around with them! The more we think, the bigger
this gets! But, this is only the TIP of the Iceberg. This is the stuff that
explodes the time-signature formulas. It will detonate later. However, this
lesson will expand your 'rhythmic knowledge base' by several billion beat possibilities
now . . . and we'll multiply this knowledge exponentially by a factor of
another trillion (or so) as we connect these same principles to all the time-signature
formulas, and their respective note-value modifications.
LESSON #4. WALTZ: (The 5 Basic Waltz structures.)
This is your bridge to infinite rhythmic wisdom. Here, we begin to comprehend
the odd, time-signature structures.
Waltz seems like such a square and boring beat pattern,
but it isn't at all. It's a bridge, or stepping-stone into the
entire rhythmic universe. Be well aware of ALL the different
forms of Waltz, and how the Waltz beats are affected by the permutation
theories you've just learned above. See those connections! See
the way the 5 basic WALTZ beats (in 3/4), mimic the 5 basic COMMON
dancebeats (in 4/4.) That's the important thing! They're both based within the
same note-value
framework, and that's a very important clue to all the other (odd/even) time-signature
structures to follow. Everything odd (ie; 5/4, 7/4, 9/4 etc.), follows this same 3/4
pattern of note-value modifications and permutations!
This awareness above, will be crucial to the eureka moment you are about to
experience as you study time-signatures, with each of those previously mentioned elements
in full view.
LESSON #5. TIME-SIGNATURES: (1/1 to 64/64.)
NOW . . . we're ready to explode the big bomb.
Visit the time-signature lesson and study it with the objective
of implanting every possible beat and/or every beat variation in the
known musical universe, into your own mind . . . all in one sitting.
Think a minute about what I just said . . .
It could happen within the next 5-minutes to 5-days. Much will depend on
the amount of thought you devote to this project!
This knowledge will leave you bewildered once you've
totally absorbed it. It should astound you completely! If it doesn't,
there's something really wrong. It's an indication that you just don't
see it at all. Sometimes, students may need to read the Time-Signature
lesson several times, and think for several days . . . before the obvious simplicities
become apparent. This should become the most exciting musical knowledge you've
ever gained in your life! Especially, with such 'little' effort. If you
don't agree, it is an indication that the bomb didn't explode. You didn't
get it! Study it again! Connect ALL the dots! It will happen! THINK, EXPERIMENT,
AND EXPLORE!
This awareness is relative to several years of advanced rhythm theory
classes in college, and you can have it in three or four days (maybe a few minutes)
. . . just by thinking about it. What I'm telling you isn't sales hype. I'm not
trying to sell you! I just trying to be sure you haven't missed it.
YOU MAY MISS IT . . .
- If, you do not adequately understand the note-value system.
- If, you do not adequately appreciate the 5 basic beats in 4/4.
- If, you can't accurately visualize and connect permutation theories
to all time-signatures.
- If, you do not connect the bridge between the 3/4 and the 4/4 basic
beat structures.
It's easy to miss any one of the above factors! The failure to connect any of
the above, will lessen the much larger-picture immensely!
Let's face it. We're all a little 'mentally lazy' unless we know that
our mental efforts will pay-off in a big way. This should pay-off in a
very big way, now that we've laid the proper ground-work! Study it!
Play with the possibilities on paper. Actually 'PLAY' what you've written!
Hear it! Feel it! Play your ideas on a real drumset, preferably,
or on a drum machine, or simply tap the possibilities on your
desktop. Then . . . make it work the same way on ANY other instrument.
NON-DRUMMERS (TIP): Build chord-progressions around the patterns you'll see and learn.
Test the new rhythm structures you'll find, by composing songs around them. Add a
haunting melody to the new beats, insert some meaningful
lyrics, and do some serious innovating of your own. Many times, the hi-hat
(or secondary pulse) may actually become a repeating Arpeggio or soft background
rhythm, on instruments, OTHER than drums. That's important to remember.
The time has come for you to create some original music! Generate music that's
totally new and diverse! There's plenty of room for everyone to become an
innovator . . . as each of these virtually endless possibilities, becomes
apparent.
LESSON #6: There's more! What about all the
other X/X signatures?
STILL . . . MORE HELP . . . (TIME-SIGNATURES OTHER THAN X/4.)
Once you've absorbed the first five lessons . . . there may still be
some lingering questions in your mind, (if you are doing all the
necessary 'thought'.)
There may be a need for a few more lessons to help clear up those
lingering questions, like . . . "What is '16th-note 7/8', etc.?"
This lesson will hopefully put the cherry on the top of this
whole thing.
LESSON #7: Final Thoughts . . .
This knowledge should, (maybe someday will be) the Holy Grail of all rhythmic knowledge.
It's really the brass-ring, once totally absorbed and appreciated. I can't
understand why it isn't taught at the elementary (or college) music-levels already.
Copyright Bill Powelson
1985-2xxx all rights
reserved.
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