Rhythm Translation #1

Lesson 9

If you ever learn a foreign language, one of the ways your teacher might assess you is to ask you to translate words and phrases from one language into another. Your teacher might give you a list of familiar vocabulary words in English and have you translate them into Spanish, for example. Or, they might give you familiar words you have been taught in Spanish, and have you translate them to English. We can do the same thing in music!

Watch the video Rhythm Lesson 8: Translation #1 for a demonstration of the skill.

Listen to the pattern on a neutral syllable. These will all be patterns that you are familiar with from previous lessons. Translate the pattern from neutral syllables to rhythm syllables.
First, try it with four macrobeats of “think time.” Then, try it with two macrobeats of “think time.” And finally, translate in real time.
You will do some in duple, and some in triple.

Then, watch the Patterns Only Videos in duple and triple to try it by yourself

If you're having trouble...

Translating rhythm patterns is part of Generalization, which is an inference skill. It really works your brain in ways that it may not have worked before. If you are having difficulty, please go back to previous lessons and review the syllables, and then try again. Continue this process until the syllables become second nature.

Can you fluently “speak ‘Du De’’? If not, try more improvisation!