Somebody asked for help in reading music. Mapping a note to a pitch isn't too bad. It seems that people have the most problem in figuring out a rhythm. So, here's a nugget for beginning musicians who have to read a lot (eg. classical musicians, jazz musicians, etc.). This seems to be a secret in the musician community - I haven't come across it in any book yet. So here it is....
One trick I learned from orchestra that may help you if you are having trouble with those pesky dotted notes and figuring out the rhythm and stuff:
Just double (in your head) the number of beats in a measure. So...
In 4/4 time, you count to 8 instead of 4
In 3/4 time you count to 6 instead of 3
In 6/8 time you count to 12 instead of 6
And thus...
A quarter note gets 2 counts instead of 1
A half note gets 4 counts instead of 2
A dotted quarter note gets 3 counts instead of 1.5 (see where this shit becomes easier? )
For example, let's say you have a measure in 4/4 with dotted 8ths. Instead of counting to 4, you count to 8. So now in your head, you count 2 for every quarter note, 1 for every eighth note.
If you still have trouble, double the number of beats (in your head) again.
When you're practicing at home, just set your metronome to a super slow speed and gradually increase speed as you get more comfortable. Don't have a metronome? Well, you better get one!
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