Hear the Beat, Feel the Music - JJ

Introduction

This book isn’t about knowing music in your head , it’s about connecting to it at a deeper level . It’s about feeling it in your bones . It’s about creating a rhythmic connection.

You’ll learn how to clap . This will help you connect to music , because clapping is like being an instrument in the band.

You’ll learn how to identify the structure of music . This is known as phrasing. This will start you on the path to better musicality , because it’ll help you to predict where the music is going . It’ll give you the somewhat useless skill of being able to predict and punch the air to a big accent or hit in the music ( but I bet your friends will find that cool ) . There’s more : according to the field of biomusicology , the study of biology and music , if you can predict where the music is going , you’ll enjoy it more . Yup , lying on the couch and chilling to music is about to get better .

MUSICIAN VERSUS DANCER ALERT: You could learn the beat and phrasing from a musician, but a musician will teach you music theory, which is complicated and TMI ( too much information ). The method in this book is used by dance choreographers; it’s related to music theory, but it’s easier and better suited to non - musicians.

She taught me about the 8 - count and phrasing in music, something I had not found anywhere else. I blossomed. While I still didn’t have talent, I came to realize that what Skippy said was true: it was a lack of education and training that was holding me back.

I could hear not only the sets of 8 in the music , but also how the sets of 8 came together to form the bigger structure .

For two years I counted the sets of 8 obsessively , anytime and anywhere I heard music. Finally, it became natural and I stopped thinking about it . Finally, I could feel the beat. ( No doubt, with a coach or guide like this book, I would have done it more quickly .)

Now I’m almost a virtuoso when it comes to tapping my foot and clapping my hands . I can even dance and , on a good night , not embarrass myself . Best of all , I enjoy listening to music more . At times, I even feel like I’m part of the band.

Chapter 1: Count the Music

Even if you can’t hear the structure, music has structure. For non-musicians, the most important structural element to know is a set of 8, also known as an 8-count and an eight-beat mini-phrase. If you can count the sets of 8, you’ve found the underlying beat.

Also, like a sentence, a set of 8 usually has a theme. You need to listen for themes, because generally these themes are related to the musical count and the structure.

There’s one other structural element, a major phrase (not to be confused with a mini-phrase), which I’ll mention now because it’ll help you hear the sets of 8. Essentially, the musical themes of the sets of 8 (mini-phrases) can come together to form a bigger theme, which is a major phrase. So major phrases, like paragraphs in a piece of writing, are part of the bigger structure in a piece of music.

While music is made up of vocals, melody, harmony and drums, it’s the drums that create the underlying beat of music. The drums and other percussion instruments are called the percussion section of the band. When you add the keyboard and guitars to the percussion section, it’s often called the rhythm section, although the components of a rhythm section can vary from band to band.

Don’t be fooled: sometimes the underlying beat sounds like it’s coming from the vocals or melody. That’s because the vocals and melody can be rhythmically aligned with the sets of 8. Knowing what to listen for can be tricky and I don’t expect you, with an untrained ear, to always identify the rhythm section. But over time, you’ll gain a sense for it. For now, just remember that the drums and percussion have the final word in establishing the beat, because that’ll come in handy when you’re up against difficult music.

We’ll get to counting music in a moment. First, it’ll help to get a feel for the music; that is, to get a sense for hearing the sets of 8 without counting, because ultimately that’s your endgame.

• The chorus runs from 0:57 seconds to 1:15.
• As you listen, think about the structure in terms of four sets of 8 coming together, thematically, to create a major phrase of music.

• As you listen try to hear how a phrase of words aligns with a set of 8 in the music.
• Notice how a set of 8 stands out.
• Specifically, notice how, thematically, the first three sets of 8 set up something, which gets resolved in the fourth set of 8.
  • After that “something else” started.

Practice Counting Music

Count Music–Sets of 8