Lesson 31 2/4: two beats per bar
- Introduction
- 2/4
- 60 bpm
- 8 bars
- 15 claps
- New: 2/4 time
About this exercise
The first change of time signature. In 2/4 each bar has only 2 beats, and the count becomes "1, 2 | 1, 2". The notes keep their values: the quarter note is still worth 1 beat.
The exercise has 7 bars of quarter notes and ends with a half note, which fills the whole bar in 2/4. The challenge is mental: beat 1 comes twice as often, and you have to restart the count every two beats without letting the pulse change.
Before you start
In 2/4 time each bar has 2 beats (the top number) and the quarter note still lasts 1 beat (the 4 at the bottom). Count "1, 2 | 1, 2". It's the time of marches.
View Details
How to play it
- Count-in: the site counts 1 bar before starting ("1 2"). 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 | 2 quarter notes | 1 2 |
| 2 | 2 quarter notes | 1 2 |
| 3 | 2 quarter notes | 1 2 |
| 4 | 2 quarter notes | 1 2 |
| 5 | 2 quarter notes | 1 2 |
| 6 | 2 quarter notes | 1 2 |
| 7 | 2 quarter notes | 1 2 |
| 8 | half note | 1 (2) |
Notes used: half note, quarter note.