Piano Roll Theorymusic theory for producers
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2Part 2 · The course

Rhythm

Tempo, bars, note values, groove, drum patterns

7 lessons0% completed
  1. 01Tempo and BPMYou're going to find out what tempo measures, how to feel it in your body before you read it on the screen, and why the same BPM can feel slow or fast depending on where the drums are placed.12 min
  2. 02Bars, Beats and StepsThis lesson shows you how time is organized in your software: beats grouped into bars, beats cut into steps, and a grid that pulls your notes into place. By the end, you'll be able to name any cell of the grid out loud.13 min
  3. 03Note Lengths: Whole, Half, Quarter, EighthHere you'll learn the name of each note length, from the whole note to the thirty-second note, what your software calls it and how many steps it takes up. You'll also see that rests and the exact length of your notes change the character of a part as much as the pitches do.13 min
  4. 04Dotted Notes and TripletsYou're going to discover the two lengths that don't follow the split-in-two system: the dotted note, which lasts one and a half times its value, and the triplet, which fits three notes in the time of two. They're what give many bass lines their bounce and trap hi-hats their rolls.14 min
  5. 05Syncopation, Offbeats and GrooveAfter this lesson, you'll know why two rhythms written with the same note lengths can sound stiff in one case and alive in the other. You'll know strong and weak beats, offbeats, syncopation, swing, and the part that velocities and ghost notes play.15 min
  6. 06Essential Drum Patterns by GenreThis lesson gives you the drum skeletons of the major genres: house and techno, the backbeat, boom bap, trap, drum and bass, 2-step, dembow and Afro grooves. For each one, you'll know where the kick, the snare and the hi-hats land, and what lets you recognize it in two seconds.18 min
  7. 07Odd Time Signatures and PolyrhythmsYou're going to discover what happens when you step outside four beats: bars of three beats, the compound feel of 6/8 and 12/8, bars of five and seven, and then polyrhythms, which spin patterns of three over a grid of four.15 min