Q&A for How to Count Music

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  • Question
    What is an 8 count in music?
    Michael Noble, PhD
    Professional Pianist
    Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
    Professional Pianist
    Expert Answer
    An 8 count in music would be an eighth note. It is equal to 1/8th of a whole note.
  • Question
    What is 4/4 in music?
    Michael Noble, PhD
    Professional Pianist
    Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
    Professional Pianist
    Expert Answer
    4/4 is a time signature. For more information, see the wikiHow "How to Work out a Time Signature" (https://www.wikihow.com/Work-out-a-Time-Signature).
  • Question
    What are the counts for music notes?
    Michael Noble, PhD
    Professional Pianist
    Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
    Professional Pianist
    Expert Answer
    What value a beat has in a song or piece depends on the meter of the piece. For instance, a song in 4/4 has four beats per measure with the quarter note (which is signified by the bottom four) getting one beat.
  • Question
    Are there any tips for me on counting "in my head" while playing? There is too much going on at once. I play woodwind, so counting out loud is not an option.
    Michael Noble, PhD
    Professional Pianist
    Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
    Professional Pianist
    Expert Answer
    I would practice counting without your instrument until you've mastered the rhythm. Taking things apart and doing them one at a time will eventually allow you to do multiple things at the same time, such as playing and counting the rhythm simultaneously.
  • Question
    How do I count sixteenth notes?
    Community Answer
    Sixteenth notes in 4/4 would be counted like this: 1 e +(and) a(uh), 2 e + a, 3 e + a and 4 e +a. In 3/8, they would be counted as 1 + 2 + 3 +. In 3/16, they would be counted as 1 2 3.
  • Question
    Does the measure always start at one? Or, can a measure start with 'and' before the one?
    Community Answer
    The measure always needs to start with the first downbeat. The measure never starts with the and before the one (one and two and three and four...).
  • Question
    Is there a standard form I can use to write the lyrics below the song's musical tune?
    Community Answer
    The lyrics are written just below the staff, and each word is written under the corresponding note that is sung. Words with multiple syllables are split with hyphens, and each syllable is placed under the correct note as per above.
  • Question
    I wish to count a measure that is written "cut time" and it starts with a sixteenth note, then a quarter note, then a sixteenth note and two quarter notes.
    Community Answer
    Cut time cuts each note in half. For example, a half note would be equal to a quarter note, a sixteenth note is equal to a thirty second note, a quarter note is equal to an eighth note and a whole note is equal to a half note.
  • Question
    How are 32nd notes counted?
    Community Answer
    If you would say "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and" for every 4 beats, there would be 4 counts for each number and the word "and".
  • Question
    How do I read music notes?
    Community Answer
    This article -- Read Music -- is a good place to start.
  • Question
    How do I read a whole rest?
    Pond Hair_grl
    Community Answer
    The most helpful way is to pulse your voice. Try something like this -- one-uh-uh-uh. Pulse each beat.
  • Question
    How do I find the count 1 in the middle of a song?
    Community Answer
    If there is a conductor, you can find beat 1 by watching for the down beat. It is usually a very clear motion of the hand or baton that moves from top to bottom. If there is no conductor, you have to listen long enough to determine what the meter the music is in. If you tap your toe based on what you hear (and feel), do the beats sound like they're organized in 2s, 3s, 4s, or something else? Once you have that number, listen (and feel) for where the strongest beat falls. That should be beat or count 1.
  • Question
    Are the time signatures the same for all instruments?
    Community Answer
    Yes. Any time signature can be used for any instrument or voice. Most of the time instruments and voices that are performing together are written using the same time signature for each instrument or voice, however there are rare exceptions. I have seen a piece of music where one group was reading music in 2/4 time and another group was reading music written in 6/8 time, all while performing together.
  • Question
    How do I count music that's fast?
    Community Answer
    Use a metronome to help you. Use it is a guide in assisting your counting. You can also start by taking your music at a slow tempo, but as you get more familiar with it, take it at faster tempos.
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