Lesson 03 The half note: 2 beats
- Introduction
- 4/4
- 60 bpm
- 4 bars
- 12 claps
- New: half note
About this exercise
The first long note of the course. Bars 1 and 3 are quarter notes, like in the previous lessons; bars 2 and 4 have two half notes each. The alternation is on purpose: you feel the pulse in the quarter notes and right after that you must keep it inside, without clapping, on beats 2 and 4 of the half-note bars.
The typical mistake is clapping again on the second beat of the half note, out of habit. Hands together and counting out loud fix it: "1, 2, 3, 4", clapping only on the bold numbers.
Before you start
The half note (𝅗𝅥, white notehead with a stem) lasts 2 beats. Clap on the attack and keep your hands together through the second beat: hands together mean the sound keeps going.
View Details
How to play it
- Count-in: the site counts 1 bar before starting ("1 2 3 4"). Clap the first note on beat 1 of bar 1.
- Reading: read the line on the yellow strip and look ahead to the next one: that's how you read ahead.
- Hands together: on notes longer than 1 beat (half note) clap and keep your hands together until the end of the note: hands together = the sound keeps going.
How to practice
- Say the count out loud, without clapping, looking at the Bar by bar table.
- In Together mode, count and clap at the same time as the character.
- In Your turn mode, clap on your own. If it's hard, slow down and then come back.
Bar by bar
Bold = clap · (n) = don't clap, the sound keeps going (hands together) · [n] = rest, hands open.
| Bar | Notes | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 quarter notes | 1 2 3 4 |
| 2 | 2 half notes | 1 (2) 3 (4) |
| 3 | 4 quarter notes | 1 2 3 4 |
| 4 | 2 half notes | 1 (2) 3 (4) |
Notes used: half note, quarter note.