Learn by doing lessons on how to think about, count, internalize, and physically express the 2/4 Time Signature (2/4 Meter) like a musician…
Table of Contents
Lesson Goal
To deeply internalize 2/4 meter… in three ways: counting out loud, clapping your hands, and playing along.
Prerequisites
LOVE of music… and the discipline to study and practice the right things the right way.
2/4 Time Signature Study (Count Out Loud)
Lesson Goal: To read, think, and feel the 2/4 time signature by counting out loud with a metronome in 1/4, 1/8th, triplet 1/8th, and 1/16th notes…
Three big practice goals: To synchronize your counting with the metronome, to develop the sense that “1” feels like home, and to develop a feeling for beats smaller than quarter notes.
How to Count 2/4 Meter in 1/4 Notes
Listen to Frank model how to count this with a metronome @ 100 beats per minute…
Aim to count 8 bars at a time in one continuous breath without accenting any notes.
How to Count 2/4 Meter in 1/8th Notes
Listen to Frank model how to count this with a metronome @ 88 beats per minute…
It’s not enough to passively listen to these. In order to deeply internalize the rhythms, you must actively count out loud with a metronome.
How to Count 2/4 Meter in 1/8th Note Triplets
Listen to Frank model how to count this with a metronome @ 60 beats per minute…
Record yourself, listen to the playback immediately, and be absolutely honest about what you hear and feel.
How to Count 2/4 Meter in 1/16th Notes
Listen to Frank model how to count this with a metronome @ 60 beats per minute…
Practice Idea: Doing this while taking a walk–synchronizing your stride and counting aloud with the metronome (using a smartphone app).
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2/4 Time Signature Study (Clap Your Hands)
Lesson Goal: To “think”, hear, feel, and express one thing happening on one side of your body while two things are happening on the other side.
How to Do These Studies
- Play with a metronome. Doing so keeps you absolutely honest about when the pulses occur and what the tempo is. (because the metronome never lies.)
- Count the meter out loud. Doing so synchronizes your mental conception with your physical execution, keeps the time flowing in the otherwise silent and empty gap between clicks, helps you to anticipate when the next downbeat is coming, and transfers your sense of time from the outside of you (the metronome clicks) to the inside of you (your internal musical clock).
- Play at various tempos. From very slow to very fast. Doing so exposes any misconceptions in your sense of time and any imperfections in your technique. Frank suggests starting at 60 beats per minute, then working your way up to keep pushing your limits!
- Single source your intentions. The impulse that verbalizes the count should be the very same impulse that triggers the physical motion. Saying “1” and clapping are not two separate events that you try to synchronize. No. Saying “1” and your downward gesture should be a single unified events triggered by a single musical impulse.
- No flams. When your left and right side play together, they must play perfectly together, not one slightly before or after the other. This is closely related to the single source idea above. Perfect coordination between your left and right sides. Not two separate events that just happen to occur at the same time, but a single full body expression.
- Play with musical technique. Playing with good technique is impossible without a deep sense of rhythm that flows from you core outward. You’re on the right track when your arms and hands express the rhythm in cycles of natural, flowing motions that never stop. (see: Time Never Stops).
About the Lesson Design
Clap your hands in your lap along with a metronome at various tempos (suggested tempos: 60, 100, 140, up to 180 beats per minute) while counting the meter out loud (1 & 2 & 1 & 2 & 2 &…) in three musical patterns…
- Hands together in 1/4 notes.
- 1/2 notes left, 1/4 notes right.
- 1/2 notes right, 1/4 notes left.
Pattern #1: Hands Together in 1/4 Notes…
Any interest in stereo play along MP3s?
Pattern #2: Half Notes left, 1/4Notes Right…
Any interest in stereo play along MP3s?
Pattern #3. Half Notes Right, 1/4 Notes Left…
Any interest in stereo play along MP3s?
YouTube Demonstration
Watch Frank model how to do this study…
back to… Table of Contents
2/4 Time Signature Study (Play Along)
Lesson Goal: To “think”, hear, feel, and express the rhythm pattern of two things happening on one side of your body while one thing is happening on the other side…
The audio files (MP3s) here will make sense only if played in stereo (the left hand is panned left and right hand is panned right).
Pattern #1: Left hand plays 1/2 notes, right hand plays 1/4 notes…
Listen to a sample at 120 beats per minute…
Practice Idea: Experiment by playing with different fingers, articulations, and choreographies!
Pattern #2: Right hand plays 1/2 notes, Left hand plays 1/4 notes…
Notice that this is a the mirror image of pattern #1…
Listen to a sample at 120 beats per minute…
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learn more… Musical Time
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