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If you’ve ever felt unsure about rhythm, you’re not alone. Rhythm can feel like the trickiest part of music, but once you understand the basics, everything starts to click. Let’s break it down step by step—so your timing feels as good as your playing.

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Time Signatures Explained

Every piece of music has a time signature—those two numbers you see at the beginning of the staff.

• The top number tells you how many beats are in each measure.
  
• The bottom number tells you what type of note gets one beat.
  

Common Examples:

• 4/4 time: 4 beats per measure, the quarter note = 1 beat. (Think: most pop songs.)
  
• 3/4 time: 3 beats per measure, quarter note = 1 beat. (Think: waltzes.)
  
• 6/8 time: 6 beats per measure, the eighth note = 1 beat. (Think: flowing ballads or Irish jigs.)
  

👉 Try it on the piano: Play a simple C major chord. In 4/4, count “1-2-3-4.” In 3/4, count “1-2-3.” In 6/8, count “1-2-3-4-5-6.”

Tip: Tap and count aloud while you play to lock in the feel.

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Note Values

Notes are simply symbols for how long to hold a sound. Here are the essentials:

• Whole note = 4 beats
  
• Half note = 2 beats
  
• Quarter note = 1 beat
  
• Eighth note = ½ beat
  
• Sixteenth note = ¼ beat
  

Think of rhythm like a grid where you’re dividing up the same measure of time:

Note	Symbol	Beats (in 4/4)	Example Phrase
Whole	○	4	Play and hold for the full bar
Half	◑	2	Play on beats 1 and 3
Quarter	●	1	Play on every beat
Eighth	♪	½	Play “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &”
Sixteenth	♬	¼	Play “1 e & a 2 e & a…”

👉 Demo: On piano, take a C chord and play it first as a whole note, then two halves, then four quarters, then eight eighths, then sixteen sixteenths—all within a single bar of 4/4.

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Intro to Triplets

Now let’s add a rhythm that spices things up: the triplet.

• A triplet means you play 3 evenly spaced notes in the time of 1 beat.
  
• Compare this to eighth notes, which divide the beat into 2.
  

👉 Try this: Play a G chord. First, play eighth notes (“1 & 2 &”). Then switch to triplets (“1-trip-let, 2-trip-let”). Notice how the feel changes?

Tip: Always count “1-trip-let, 2-trip-let” aloud until it feels natural.

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Wrap-Up + Practice Tip

Rhythm is best learned with your body before your fingers.

• Start by clapping rhythms before playing them on the piano.
  
• Use a metronome to internalize a steady beat.
  
• Pick one chord and cycle through all note values: whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and triplets.
  

With practice, rhythm will stop feeling confusing and start feeling fun.