READING RHYTHM was designed to develop and improve your sight reading and ability to write rhythm, by systematically working through most musical possibilities. Any music educator, instrumentalist, vocalist or student can benefit from this text. Indeed anyone wanting to explore rhythmical ideas will find a wealth of information here.

I have found in my 14 years as a drum teacher, that many students need to progress slowly. With this in mind, I have endeavoured to write a book where there are plenty of exercises at each level, taking you through from beginning to advanced reading.

There are three ways to approach READING RHYTHM. The first is to clap or tap the rhythms. This is the easiest method as you do not need to consider the length of each note. The second approach is to sing the rhythms. This will develop your phrasing and overall musicality, particularly for drummers. Thirdly, apply this book to your own instrument. Try combining these methods.

You will notice in some pages, I have written quarter notes on the bottom of the stave. This is designed to help the student by showing where the downbeats are and how the rhythmical figure relates to it. I recommend you tap your foot here. If you are a drummer, then play the bass drum. It is also a good co-ordination exercise. In fact, drummers may want to experiment by adding some different feet patterns whilst reading the rhythmic figure (melody line).

In the sight reading exercise pages, this quarter note has purposely been omitted. This is so the student learns to recognise the downbeat and develops a clear understanding of the theory behind each phrase. I recommend however, that you always add some sort of time keeper or rhythmic ostinato, whilst reading the melody.

It is a good practice to COUNT out loud when first learning. This helps in developing a clear understanding of the theory. Once this has been achieved, counting is not necessary in sight reading. A suggested counting method has been written in some pages, although there are many variations around that teachers can use.

Be sure to practise with a metronome or drum machine, as this will ensure you are keeping time. Set it to 6o BPM (beats per minute) and make sure your bass drum or right foot is exactly in sync with it. You can increase the speed as you feel comfortable, but always remember that each page should only be played as fast as the hardest measure can be
played.

You may try playing some pages in double or cut time. The pages on syncopation are a good example of this. You can also "swing" the syncopation section.

The polyrhythms at the end have been thrown in as a bonus, for anyone wanting to get DEEP! The drummers will dig these the most.

Rhythmic dictation sheets have been included for the benefit of teachers. I suggest regular tests be given to students to assist in developing their rhythmic writing skills.

As a professional drummer, my world is filled with syncopated rhythms. It is my desire therefore to share some of these with you. I hope you will enjoy working through this book as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I particularly hope that it will be of great value to music teachers as a text book for their students.

Happy learning,
Bill Kezelos

Home  Introduction  Tutorial  Order

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
© Copyright 1998-99 Bill Kezelos