Learn to count and read rhythms
Every rhythm becomes easier to read once you can count it. These guides explain the counting syllables musicians use and show each figure with an example you can play in grooph. Every example has a Play link that opens it with a metronome.
- How to Count Sixteenth Notes
Learn to count sixteenth notes with "1 e & a" – every common sixteenth-note figure with counting, examples you can hear and exercises to practice. - How to Count Triplets
Learn to count eighth-note triplets with "1 trip let", hear the difference to straight eighths and practice triplets with rests – with playable examples. - Syncopation Exercises
What syncopation is and how to read it – offbeat eighths, ties across the beat and sixteenth syncopations, with examples you can play and random exercises. - Dotted Rhythms
How dotted notes work and how to count dotted quarters, dotted eighths and the dotted "gallop" – with playable examples and practice exercises.
The counting syllables at a glance
| Note value | Per beat | Counted |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter notes | 1 | 1 2 3 4 |
| Eighth notes | 2 | 1 & 2 & |
| Eighth-note triplets | 3 | 1 trip let 2 trip let |
| Sixteenth notes | 4 | 1 e & a 2 e & a |
4
4
4
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When you are ready to read new material, the sight-reading exercises generate random rhythms at your level.