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Kids Guitar -- Rhythm 1 - The Whole Note

By Professor Bruno Noteworthy of profbruno.com

I have included pictures of the 8 basic chords. In the captions of these pictures I have included the fingering. The low E string is on the left. The numbers are fret numbers. A “0” means an open string, and an “x” means that that string should not be played. Thanks.

It has been said (by someone) that playing rhythm guitar is an art form.

Yeah, it is, but it ain’t no secret either.

The secret to learning how to play really good rhythm guitar is counting. Ya see, music is a mathematically perfect language.

Oh no, MATH!!!!! I thought that this was about music!

Relax, will ya! I don’t mean really hard math. I mean simple stuff – like counting to four, or three, later to six or eight.

If you can count, you can understand the math in music. Oh yeah… Later on you’ll need to understand fractions… Like ½ + ½ = 1. But that’s later.

So… It’s all about counting. All music (99.999831%) is divided into small little bits called measures – sometimes called bars (not the drinking kind). Each one of these measure thingies will have the same count inside of it. If one measure has 4 counts in it, then they ALL will, unless….. the music tells you otherwise.(You won't see that kinda thing for awhile.)

How do you know how many counts are in each measure?

In written music (what we call notational music – using actual notes), there is a fraction looking thingamabob called a “time signature”. The top number of this thing tells you how many beats, or counts in each measure. The bottom number…. Ehhhh… We don’t wanna go there just yet.

Okay… counting. Let’s start with what’s called four-four time (4/4 -- see photo on bottom). This means that each measure will contain four counts. We are gonna use notes to learn to count.

Are we bored yet?

Allrighty… We are starting with the most basic note – the Whole Note. The Whole Note (see photo) gets four counts. That means that if you see a whole note in a measure, there CAN BE NO OTHER NOTES. Why? Because we already HAVE four. Got it? (By the way, if we were in three-four time, a whole note could not exist -- too many counts.)

Now, remember, I’m not teaching you how to read music here. I am using notes and their count values to teach you how to play rhythm.

Here’s your first excersise:

Pretend there is a song that has 1 zillion measures in it. Okay, so it’s a long song… We are in four-four time. Each measure has a whole note, which means that each measure gets four (4) counts, and four counts only. We will learn rhythm this way:

If a measure has a whole note, that means 1 strum per measure held for 4 counts. But you must count consistently. That means 1..2..3..4..1..2..3..4..1..2..3..4.. etc…. Not 1..2.3……4……..1. Count slowly.

Pick a chord from the bottom pictures. Any old chord will do. Strum that chord (down strum). Let it ring for 4 counts, then strum again, let it ring for 4 counts, strum again, let it ring for 4 counts etc. etc etc.

Now remember. BEEEEEEEEE CONSISTENT!

It..should..take..you..the..same..amount..of..time..between..each..and..every..count..

Next exercise: Change chords (using every chord you know) on each measure while counting consistently. When you do this exercise, gradually increase the speed (called “tempo”) of your counting until you can switch between chords “on time” at faster and faster speeds. Count slow enough in the beginning so that you can switch chords on time. Do NOT increase your count speed until you can.

What I'm gonna do is to keep giving you different types of notes that have different count values. Once you learn enough note types and their count values, you will start to see rhythm “patterns”. Once you do that, you're playin' rhythm.

So, start practicin’…
Professor Bruno Noteworthy

Contributor's Note

Professor Bruno Noteworthy is a toon music professor who loves teaching the guitar to kids.

This is very important information but it puts me in mind of a dangerous move my wife and I made with our daughter, Laura.

Laura is very fortunate in that she has always enjoyed my eclectic taste in music and that she can 'carry' a tune. From a very early age she was able to take up any musical instrument and get music out of it. To encourage her, my wife and I agreed that she should take piano lessons.

From being a natural music maker Laura became a plodding note cruncher. The boringly repetitive exercises in the mechanics of making music did not allow her to use her ability to actually 'make' music. The lessons soon stopped.

Laura can play piano, violin, bag-pipes, flute, drums, digeridoo and just about any instrument that can be blown, plucked or struck. Her daughter has also got a similar talent.

Like many people cannot learn languages because teachers spend too much time on the mechanics (grammar), some children will not learn naturally by experimenting with their instrument of choice because the mechanics get in the way. Many great jazz exponents could not explain the mechanics of their trade but, oh how they could 'play'.

You are more right than you know. I need to wrote an intel regarding this.

But, not knowing all of the details regarding your daughter and her piano teacher, let me say that not all teachers are created equal. Plus every instrument is different. There is a process for each instrument that should teach the basics (like where all of the notes are, for example).

For the piano, teaching usually comes from studying the great composers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, etc. These pieces were written with very precise instructions regarding style. Some of them sound like mathematical exercises -- by design. Other music is designed to be very expressive.

Most teachers insist that their students learn to read music. For good reason -- for the versatility that that skill possesses, and for later marketability for the player. But in the beginning, learning this skill is boring (especially for most kids), and everything will tend to sound like "note crunching" for awhile.

But if your daughter came into her first lesson already having an ability and a feel for the piano, her instructor should have noticed it, protected it, and nurtured it. He should have given a portion of his time toward expanding it.

Plus there is a difference between people who want to be professional, and those who merely want to just learn to play. The teaching style should take this into account.

It's a complicated subject, and it's obvious to me that you have a good ear for music. You can tell passion when it's there and when it's not there. Not everyone can, you know. Many people listen to music not really knowing what it is that they're listening to. That's also part of the problem.

I could go on and on...

Just looking at the pictures of your guitar chords brings back memories of the ends of my fingers in pain.

Your counting brings back memories of Lawrence Welk... Now a ona and a twoa . He didn't just move his baton, he moved his whole body.

Yeah... every instrument has it's own special way of torturing the person trying to learn the doggone thing.

I remember learning how to count music, and eventually using a metronome. It's an important aspect of learning to play.

click..click..click..click.. It does have its uses...

The images bring back the memories of my trying to learn to play at age 25. I worked part time at a riding stable and we had moonlight hay rides. I was never good, but the beer in the guest who were singing, made it acceptable.
Thank you for sharing, James.
Best wishes.
Frederick

Ha! Beer sometimes helps when you're listening. It sometimes helps when you're performing too...
Thanks Frederick.

I can play only in my dreams. I did teach myself a bit of piano but dealing directly with the strings of a guitar intimidates me. Anyway, I did understand the counting thing.

Well, if you did teach yourself how to play a little on the piano, then I encourage you to keep playing.

Thanks for your comment.

Thanks, James. You make it sound easy to learn. Now I just need the discipline to practice. Do you perform anywhere? I'd love to see you.

No I don't play anywhere other than on my worship team at church in the Cleveland area...

I really appreciate your comment.

Thank you! That is very kind of you.

I guess I would qualify as a plodding note cruncher, too. But this bit with the chords is timely because I did download a virtual guitar to my android smart phone and am close to 40 years rusty on the guitar lessons.

Janet Jenson May 23, 2010 20:15

So that is why there is supposed to be a correlation between math ability and musical ability. On the other hand, I'm pretty good at math but was apparently standing behind the door when notes were passed out.

Ya gotta give yourself a chance there Janet! Some people get caught up in the math, but forget about the idea of making music. The math is only a means to an end, not the end itself.
If you like music, don't give up.

Now this is something that makes sense to me, lol. Actually, when I was young and in grade school we had to take instrument lessons. The teachers couldn't find the instrument that fit me. The violin, clarinet, flute, cello, etc. Finally I grew up and chose the acoustic guitar, but I do dabble with the piano successfully. I want to play the accordion I think.

Cool. The important thing is that you get enjoyment out of it.

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