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Rhythm: Arithmetic

Goal: To use counting to hear, sing, and play eighth note triplets through speaking, singing, and playing.

Out of Tempo

Addition

Beginning

  1. Teacher speaks, “1 2 3, 1 2 3.” (two-four)
  2. Students repeat.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher speaks, “1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3.” (three-four)
  2. Students repeat.

Advanced

  1. Teacher speaks, “1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3.” (four-four)
  2. Students repeat.

Subtraction

Beginning

  1. Teacher speaks, “1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3.” (four-four)
  2. Students repeat.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher speaks, “1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3.” (three-four)
  2. Students repeat.

Advanced

  1. Teacher speaks, “1 2 3, 1 2 3.” (two-four)
  2. Students repeat.

Multiplication

Using quarter notes and eighth note triplets.

Beginning

  1. Teacher prompts, “Student A, you speak three eighth notes per beat. Student B, you speak one quarter-note per 3 eighth notes. You both speak this at the same time in two-four – (2 x quarter notes = two-four and 6 x eighth note triplets = two-four).”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher prompts, “Student C, you speak three eighth notes per beat. Student D, you speak one quarter-note per 3 eighth notes. You both speak this at the same time in three-four – (3 x quarter notes = three-four and 9 x eighth note triplets = three-four).”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher prompts, “Student E, you speak three eighth notes per beat. Student F, you speak one quarter-note per 3 eighth notes. You both speak this at the same time in four-four time – (4 x quarter notes = four-four and 12 x eighth note triplets = four-four).”
  2. Students do so.

Division

Beginning

  1. Teacher prompts, “Here are 2 quarter notes. Divide them into 6 eighth note triplets.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher prompts, “Here are 3 quarter notes. Divide them into 9 eighth note triplets.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher prompts, “Here are 4 quarter notes. Divide them into 12 eighth note triplets.”
  2. Students do so.

In Tempo

Teacher sets up a tempo, (simple) time signature, tonality, and conducting, using one beat per measure, then more types of beats as students are more comfortable with the exercise. Students use ‘repeating solfege’ and later can use non-repeating scalar solfege (singing).

Singing and playing.

Addition

Adding a beat.

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up two-four in eighth note triplets as above and prompts, “Sing in quarter notes.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up three-four in eighth note triplets as above and prompts, “Sing in quarter notes.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up four-four in eighth note triplets as above and prompts, “Sing in quarter notes.”
  2. Students do so.

Subtraction

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up four-four in eighth note triplets as above and prompts, “Sing in quarter notes and remove one quarter note beat.”

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up three-four in eighth note triplets as above and prompts, “Sing in quarter notes and remove one quarter note beat.”

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up two-four in eighth note triplets as above and prompts, “Sing in quarter notes and remove one beat.”

Multiplication

Using quarter notes and eighth notes.

Beginning

  1. Teacher prompts, “Student A, you sing or play three eighth note triplets per beat. Student B, you sing or play one quarter-note per 3 eighth notes. You both sing or play this at the same time in two-four – (2 x quarter notes = two-four and 6 x eighth note triplets = two-four).”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher prompts, “Student C, you sing or play three eighth note triplets per beat. Student D, you sing or play one quarter-note per 3 eighth notes. You both sing or play this at the same time in three-four – (3 x quarter notes = three-four and 9 x eighth note triplets = three-four).”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher prompts, “Student E, you sing or play three eighth notes per beat. Student F, you sing or play one dotted quarter-note per 3 eighth notes. You both sing or play this at the same time in four-four time – (4 x quarter notes = four-four and 12 x eighth note triplets = four-four).”
  2. Students do so.

Division

Beginning

  1. Teacher sets up two-four and prompts, “Here are 2 quarter notes. Divide them into 6 eighth note triplets.”
  2. Students do so.

Intermediate

  1. Teacher sets up three-four and prompts, “Here are 3 quarter notes. Divide them into 9 eighth note triplets.”
  2. Students do so.

Advanced

  1. Teacher sets up four-four and prompts, “Here are 4 quarter notes. Divide them into 12 eighth notes triplets.”
  2. Students do so.