The course › Unit 6: Rhythm in detail
Lesson 32 of 72 · Two notes in one beat: ti-ti, “1 & 2 &”
An eighth note lasts half a beat: two eighth notes fit in one quarter note. On its own, it has a little flag; in pairs, their stems are joined by a beam.
With the Kodály syllables, two eighth notes are said “ti-ti”, in the time of a single “ta”.
Ta, ta, ti-ti, ta | ti-ti, ti-ti, ta-a.
Tip: The two eighth notes must be even: the beat splits into two exactly equal halves, neither one longer nor shorter.
Two eighth notes are two quick, even taps in a single beat. Say the syllables out loud.
To know where each eighth note falls, count the beats and add “and” between them: “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” (say “one and two and…”). The 1st eighth note falls on the beat, the 2nd on the “&”.
Four eighth notes going up, a half note; four eighth notes going down, a half note.
Why this way: The Kodály syllables (ta, ti-ti) help you feel how long the notes are; the numbers (“1 & 2 &”) tell you where you are in the measure. They work together: use whichever helps you most, or switch between them.
Everything mixed together: eighth notes, quarter notes, half notes and quarter rests. Read the whole rhythm before you tap, and keep the beat nice and steady.
Eighth notes in a melody: four eighth notes going up or down, then a half note. Keep the eighth notes nice and even. Four eighth notes, then a half note, going up and coming back down.
A relaxed stroll, with eighth notes in almost every measure. The melody in eighth notes in your right hand, in C position; the computer plays a bass line in quarter notes. Count “1 & 2 &” at the start.