Sight-Read Any Rhythm Instantly

Rating:
Summary: The end to all your rhythm reading blues!
Review: "Sight-Read Any Rhythm Instantly" will help you do exactly that! This is one of the first books I've read on music rhythm that completely turns the tradition of thinking in terms of music notes (their duration) on its ear. The author, Mark Phillips, explains in 55 short pages the correct way to think about reading music rhythm - think in terms of beats!

The beauty of Mark's system is that as a musician (any instrument) the only thing you need to think about (consciously) is whether or not you hit a note as you read it. Half-consciously, in the back of your mind, you'll be counting "one-two-three" (3-beat measure) as might always have done but you WILL NOT be trying to keep track of how long individual notes last. The author makes a compelling case for how difficult it is to correctly play a series of notes whose time values involve complex fractions (a third of a beat, a quarter of a beat, etc.).

Instead, the author shows you how to memorize the sound of each of the various combinations of notes that commonly occur within "one beat" (e.g., eighth notes, sixteenth notes, triplets, etc.) Essentially, the author provides you with a set of note combination patterns that you commit to memory. Once in memory, the rhythm sound of each one-beat combination can be played automatically. The author provides copious examples of most all of the patterns you would typically encounter in today's music (guitar tablature, piano, violin, etc.) and learning them is really not difficult at all - far easier than trying to count "one-ee-and-uh" every time you encounter a series of sixteenth notes.

I guess the best thing I can say about this ... gem is that you'll get one of the best bangs for the buck on learning to play in time - correctly - than any other contemporary book on rhythm reading available today. Believe me, I own just about all of 'em!

Rating:
Summary: Great New Approach
Review: In a nutshell, this book is great for anyone seeking an alternative to the dreary "counting" method traditionally offered to teach the sight-reading of rhythms. You'll learn the sounds of different rhythms and be able to "feel" them rather than count them. This unique approach is much more intuitive and a heck of a lot more musical. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Great resource.
Review: This is an excellent resource for the beginner or trained musician who is not as rhythmically adept as s/he would like to be. It teaches how to comprehend and be able to play rhythms at a glance. Highly recommended.