Rhythm and Musical Basics

Pulse, tempo, note lengths, counting and the metronome, then simple norteño rhythms with bellows changes in time.

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1. 1Pulse and tempoFeel the steady beat underneath all music, measure its speed in beats per minute (BPM) and keep a pulse steady with one button.Free · 10 min
2. 2Quarter, half and eighth notesLearn how long quarter, half and eighth notes and rests last, hear them against the beat and play a short original study that mixes them.Members · 14 min
3. 3Counting out loud in 2/4 and 4/4Group beats into bars of 2/4 and 4/4, feel the strong first beat, and count eighth notes out loud as “1 and 2 and”, including the off-beats.Members · 14 min
4. 4Practicing with a metronomeUse a metronome the useful way: start at a tempo you can play cleanly, raise it in small steps and drop back when mistakes appear, using a five-note line on the middle row.Members · 15 min
5. 5First norteño rhythm patternsHear and tap the basic 2/4 norteño accompaniment, bass on beat 1 and chord on beat 2 (“tun-ta”), and see how push and pull change the chord in the key of C.Members · 16 min
6. 6Bellows changes in timeChange bellows direction exactly on the beat, first every two beats, then on every note, and on the bar line with bass and chord, on the middle row.Members · 16 min

Related guide: A Beginner Practice Routine for Button Accordion