TUTORIAL: 8ths/Quarters Dictation
Rhythmic Dictation, Unit 3, part 1:
Intro to 8ths (with Quarters)
The term "dictation" (when it comes to music) means to HEAR a rhythm and then attempt to notate it. This is the opposite of when we SEE a rhythm and attempt to perform it.
The next section of this module will help train you to be able to hear a rhythm and know what it would look like in a piece of music. This skill will ultimately help you read and learn new music more quickly. In the first part of Unit 3, will be adding simple 8th note groupings to previously-learned quarters and quarter rests.
Seeing and Then Hearing (Prepping for Reading Music)
First, the traditional way of approaching rhythms. Start by looking at the following rhythm, and then listen to a short recording of that rhythm. In the audio file, you will always hear a "countoff" equal to the number of beats in the time signature. For now, we are only dealing with 4/4 time - so there will be four clicks in the countoff. A digital piano sound will make the rhythm you are listening for, while the click sound keeps the beat in the background. After the four-beat countoff, if you hear a click, but no piano note, you can assume there should be a rest on that beat.
Notice that (after the 4-beat countoff) you heard 8 quick notes. For every click of the beat, you heard two piano notes. When 8th notes are played in 4/4 time, two will occur during each beat (the number and the "&"). This happened four beats in a row, which matches the measure of all 8th notes that we saw right above the audio file.
Let's do another one:
In this audio performance (after the four-beat countoff), you heard two piano notes that each occured right on the click (beat). Then two piano notes in quick succession on/during the third click. Then a final single note on the 4th click. Given that we are only dealing with quarters and 8th in this part of the unit, it is safe to assume that we heard two quarters, two 8ths, and one final quarter note, which matches the image above the audio file.
Hearing and Then Seeing (Prepping for "Dictation")
Now, let's do the reverse. This time, start by listening to the audio...
After the four-beat countoff, you heard 4 quick piano notes (two occuring on beat 1, and two more occuring on beat 2). Then, you heard a single piano note on beat 3, and another single piano note on beat 4. Knowing that we are only dealing with 8ths and quarters in this part of the unit, it is safe to assume that we should have four 8th notes in a row, followed by two quarter notes, as notated below:
Let's try a more complex one (including quarter note rests):
After the 4-beat countoff, you hear two quick notes that occur on the first beat, followed by a single piano note on the second beat, then a silent third beat, followed by a single piano note on the fourth beat. Since we are only dealing with 8th notes, quarters, and quarter rest in this part of the unit, it is safe to assume this performance was two 8ths, a quarter, a quarter rest, and a quarter note. It would look like the image below:
Next Up
Now you will have a practice quiz that gives you the opportunity to get used to these concepts. Some questions will show the rhythm and then ask you to select the correct performance recording (multiple choice). Others with give you a performance recording and ask you to select the correct rhythm (also multiple choice).
Have fun!