Today we’re going to dig into rhythm and how to chart simple beats on your chord chart for songs with a 4/4 time signature.
I’ll be honest guys, we are barely going to scratch the surface when it comes to rhythm today. So, most of worship music is written in either 4/4 or 6/8. We’ll dig into 6/8 soon, but that is compound meter and today we’re going to stay on simple meter and work on 4/4 beats.
Basic 4/4 Time Signature
4/4 rhythm means that you’ll be counting to 4 in each measure and the quarter note gets one beat. You’re going to hear 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4 and that is the quarter note getting one beat.
When you’re charting 4/4 on your worship charts, you’ll use a little notation like this.
This graphic shows the chord playing on beat 1 and then 3 beats afterward.
Marking Different Beats
This graphic below shows chords playing on beats 1 and 3 with marks in between holding beats 2 and 4.
To show a hold, where you play a chord for longer than one measure, you’ll use a notation like this.
Weekly Challenge 💪🏻
Take this chart for Resurrender by Hillsong and using the charting notation I taught in yesterday’s training, chart out the whole song!
You can also click the title on the chart to access a link to the Spotify arrangement.
Then on Takeaway Tuesday, I’ll have you post a pic of your completed chart!
Drill of the Week! 🎶
This week we’re going to do a skill drill exercise! This one is a drill to increase strength, flexibility and dexterity in your ability to arpeggiate a chord. You’ll use this a lot and you need to build arpeggios into your skill repertoire, they’re a little more difficult to play than they appear, especially when moving quickly.
CLICK HERE to view the demonstration
Be sure to play slowly and steadily in the beginning. Don’t pick up the speed until you can play the whole thing without mistakes!
Practice this exercise 5x daily, hands separately.
RESOURCES
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