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Rhythm Reading
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Free course · Beginner 1

Learn to read rhythm by clapping

50 short exercises, from the pulse to rests. First you clap along with the boy or the girl; then it's your turn, and the site tells you right away if your clap landed on time.

No sign-up: just open it and practice.

How it works

  1. 1

    Read and listen

    The score shows a ball bouncing from note to note. The metronome keeps the pulse.

  2. 2

    Clap along

    In Together mode, the boy or the girl claps every note. Follow along!

  3. 3

    Your turn

    Tap the screen or press the space bar on each note. The site shows if you were on time.

  4. 4

    Move on

    Got ★★★ three times in a row at the lesson tempo? Lesson completed!

Level 1 of 4 of Beginner

Beginner 1: pulse, long notes and rests

Quarter, half and whole notes, with their rests, in 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4 time. Tempos from 60 to 80 bpm. Go in order: each lesson only uses what the previous ones taught.

Notes and rests

Block A: The pulse: quarter, half and whole notes

Clap on the pulse and hold 2- and 4-beat notes with your hands together.

  1. 01 The pulse and the quarter note 4/4 · 60 bpm · 4 bars New: quarter note
  2. 02 Quarter notes for 8 bars 4/4 · 60 bpm · 8 bars
  3. 03 The half note: 2 beats 4/4 · 60 bpm · 4 bars New: half note
  4. 04 Half note at the end of the bar 4/4 · 60 bpm · 4 bars
  5. 05 Half note at the start of the bar 4/4 · 60 bpm · 4 bars
  6. 06 Half note in the middle of the bar 4/4 · 60 bpm · 4 bars
  7. 07 The whole note: 4 beats 4/4 · 60 bpm · 4 bars New: whole note
  8. 08 Quarter, half and whole notes 4/4 · 60 bpm · 8 bars
  9. 09 4-bar phrases 4/4 · 60 bpm · 8 bars
  10. 10 Block A review 4/4 · 66 bpm · 8 bars Block review

Block B: Silence counts too: the quarter rest

One beat of silence in every position of the bar, even on beat 1.

  1. 11 Rest on beat 4 4/4 · 60 bpm · 4 bars New: quarter rest
  2. 12 Rest on beat 3 4/4 · 60 bpm · 4 bars
  3. 13 Rest on beat 2 4/4 · 60 bpm · 4 bars
  4. 14 Rest on beat 1 4/4 · 60 bpm · 4 bars
  5. 15 Two rests in the bar 4/4 · 60 bpm · 8 bars
  6. 16 Rest and half note 4/4 · 60 bpm · 8 bars
  7. 17 Rest and whole note 4/4 · 66 bpm · 8 bars
  8. 18 Rests on every beat 4/4 · 66 bpm · 8 bars
  9. 19 Question and answer 4/4 · 66 bpm · 8 bars
  10. 20 Block B review 4/4 · 72 bpm · 8 bars Block review

Block C: Long silences: half and whole rests

Rests of 2 and 4 beats; the difference between holding (hands together) and stopping (hands open).

  1. 21 Half rest on beats 3 and 4 4/4 · 60 bpm · 4 bars New: half rest
  2. 22 Half rest on beats 1 and 2 4/4 · 60 bpm · 4 bars
  3. 23 Half note × half rest 4/4 · 60 bpm · 8 bars
  4. 24 Whole rest 4/4 · 60 bpm · 8 bars New: whole rest
  5. 25 Two quarter rests in a row 4/4 · 66 bpm · 8 bars
  6. 26 Short and long rests 4/4 · 66 bpm · 8 bars
  7. 27 Hands together × hands open 4/4 · 66 bpm · 8 bars
  8. 28 Reading 12 bars 4/4 · 66 bpm · 12 bars
  9. 29 12 bars at 72 bpm 4/4 · 72 bpm · 12 bars
  10. 30 Block C review 4/4 · 72 bpm · 12 bars Block review

Block D: New time signatures: 2/4 and 3/4

The same values in bars of 2 and 3 beats.

  1. 31 2/4: two beats per bar 2/4 · 60 bpm · 8 bars New: 2/4 time
  2. 32 2/4 with half notes 2/4 · 60 bpm · 8 bars
  3. 33 2/4 with rests 2/4 · 66 bpm · 8 bars
  4. 34 3/4: three beats per bar 3/4 · 60 bpm · 8 bars New: 3/4 time
  5. 35 3/4 with half notes 3/4 · 60 bpm · 8 bars
  6. 36 3/4 with rests 3/4 · 66 bpm · 8 bars
  7. 37 3/4: half notes and rests 3/4 · 66 bpm · 8 bars
  8. 38 3/4 in 12 bars 3/4 · 72 bpm · 12 bars
  9. 39 2/4 in 12 bars 2/4 · 72 bpm · 12 bars
  10. 40 Block D review 3/4 · 76 bpm · 12 bars Block review

Block E: Continuous reading and the level test

Long readings (12 to 20 bars) and tempos up to 80 bpm.

  1. 41 Reading in 4/4: 16 bars 4/4 · 72 bpm · 16 bars
  2. 42 Reading in 3/4: 16 bars 3/4 · 72 bpm · 16 bars
  3. 43 Reading in 2/4: 16 bars 2/4 · 76 bpm · 16 bars
  4. 44 4/4 at 76 bpm 4/4 · 76 bpm · 12 bars
  5. 45 3/4 at 80 bpm 3/4 · 80 bpm · 12 bars
  6. 46 Long rests in a row 4/4 · 76 bpm · 12 bars
  7. 47 Long notes in a row 4/4 · 76 bpm · 12 bars
  8. 48 Mixed reading: 16 bars 4/4 · 80 bpm · 16 bars
  9. 49 Test rehearsal 4/4 · 80 bpm · 16 bars Test rehearsal
  10. 50 Beginner 1 test 4/4 · 80 bpm · 20 bars Level test