“I’m just not great at reading rhythms.”
This article is for exactly that. I’ll cover
the basics of quarter notes, eighth notes, triplets, and sixteenth notes,
and
a practice video you can play along with right away to drill all of them.
Contents
The Difference Between Quarter Notes and Eighth Notes
Quarter Notes
For every single metronome click, you play one pick stroke. That’s a quarter note.
If the metronome clicks four times, you play four notes — one per click. That’s the effect of a quarter note.
Here’s how quarter notes are written. (The “x” marks below the staff represent the metronome click.)
Jazz 4-feel basslines are built almost entirely out of quarter notes.
Eighth Notes
For every single metronome click, you play two pick strokes. That’s an eighth note.
If the metronome clicks four times, you play eight notes — two per click. That’s the effect of an eighth note.
Here’s how eighth notes are written.
A steady stream of eighth notes is very common in rock 8-feel grooves.
Triplets and Sixteenth Notes Are Worth Knowing Too
Triplets
For every single metronome click, you play three even pick strokes. That’s a triplet.
The key is keeping all three notes evenly spaced within that one click.
This rhythm shows up a lot in shuffle grooves.
Sixteenth Notes
For every single metronome click, you play four pick strokes. That’s a sixteenth note.
If the metronome clicks four times, you play sixteen notes — four per click. That’s the effect of a sixteenth note.
Here’s how a 16-feel is written. It’s commonly used in funk 16-feel grooves.
A Practice Video to Drill All These Note Values Right Away
This video lets you practice quarter notes, eighth notes, triplets, and sixteenth notes.
Use it as part of your daily practice routine.
· Things to watch out for
Try not to let your note volume become uneven, and keep your rhythm steady without drifting.
Just five minutes of this a day. It’s simple enough that you won’t notice much change in the moment, but stick with it seriously for a month and your sense of rhythm will improve substantially.
Hopefully this gives you something useful for your practice.
Want Personalized Feedback on Your Playing?
This is exactly the kind of thing that’s hard to fix alone — and where having a teacher makes all the difference.
At Line on Bass, I offer an online lesson service where you send me a video of your playing, and I give you specific, detailed feedback — every single day if you want.
Students from around the world are using this to fix exactly these kinds of issues and steadily improve their jazz bass skills.