Feeling the Rhythm!

Rhythm: Innate or Not?

Many people who have been singing their whole lives (professionally or not) have an innate sense of rhythm. They don’t have to think about it too much because they feel it. But I’ve worked with a number of singers for whom this does not come naturally, and this is absolutely something that can be practiced and improved.

If you think about it, we have a constant internal rhythm that literally keeps us alive: our heartbeat. So, the concept of “feeling the rhythm” really isn’t too out there. 

The Rhythmic Make-Up of a Song

Songs are made up of a number of rhythmic ideas working together: tempo (how fast or slow the song is), basic beat (time signature), melodic rhythm, harmonic rhythm (how quickly or slowly the chords change within a measure), and instrumental rhythms (melodies or grooves played by instruments that complement the main melody and help highlight the beat).

The basic beat is really the foundation for all of these other things, and is the most important aspect of rhythm to feel. The basic beat is known as the time signature. When music is written out, the time signature can be found in the very first measure of the music, right by the clef and the key signature. It’s two numbers on top of each other. The top number tells us how many beats are in each measure, and the bottom number tells us what kind of note gets one beat. The most common time signature in Western music is 4/4, which means there are four beats in each measure, and a quarter note gets one beat.

If that’s confusing, it’s ok for now. For a deeper dive, you can take a music theory class (such as the one periodically offered by NYVC’s Andy King). The most important thing at the moment is hearing the time signature. Unbelievers by Vampire Weekend is a song I use in my class to help people feel 4/4 time. Give it a listen and you’ll see. The beat is very steady, right away. It’s hard not to tap along, so go ahead and don’t resist the urge. 

If you start counting to four from the beginning, you’ll find it stays steady throughout. But let’s say you get distracted by the lyrics or by your phone or something, and you lose count. Can you find where Beat One is again? Sure, you can. There are so many cues helping us find it. It is often emphasized dynamically with the drums and/or other instruments, and melodic phrases often start on beat one and are wrapped up in groups of two or four measures. 

Again, the majority of Western songs are in 4/4, so you can practice hearing this with any number of songs you already know and like. But some other good examples where it’s pretty unmistakable are:

• Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees (or pretty much any other disco song you find)
• Superstition by Stevie Wonder
• Miss You by the Rolling Stones
• Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2 by Pink Floyd

The second most common time signature is 3/4 or 6/8. Both might make you want to waltz around a ballroom with the fantasy prince or princess of your choosing. Fun fact: if you ARE waltzing in some fancy ballroom somewhere (or with a broom around your kitchen, which also sounds like a movie), the song you are waltzing to is probably in 3/4 time. It is a three-step pattern, so it really doesn’t work in 4/4 or anything that’s not in triple meter. If you have trouble feeling 3/4, take a ballroom dance class and you’ll see.

Some great songs you may listen to that are in triple meter are:

• What the World Needs Now is Love by Burt Bacharach and Hal David (3/4)
• Kiss From A Rose by Seal (6/8, with the verse toggling between 6/8 and 9/8)
• Piano Man by Billie Joel (3/4)
• The Times They Are A-changin by Bob Dylan (3/4)
• Ice Cream by Sarah McLachlan (3/4)
• (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman by Carole King, Jerry Wexler, and Gerry Goffin (3/4)
• Love on the Brain by Joseph Angel, Frederick Ball, and Robyn Fenty (12/8)

How to Practice Feeling It

Choose a pop, country, or rock song, or hymn…pretty much anything that isn’t the metal or jazz. Probably don’t start with classical either, and not the Vampire Weekend song that I already told you is in 4/4. Then put the song on a good speaker or headphones and try to move with the music a bit. Doesn’t have to be fancy choreography. Maybe one toe twitches in time. Then, pay attention to what words or parts of the musical phrase feel like they are emphasized. This is probably beat one. Now, just keep finding beat one. Maybe you started the song over. That’s cool. The more you listen to it, the more you’ll hear. Once you’re comfortable finding beat one for the whole song, you can figure out how many beats are in each measure.

You may find that the song has a bar that trips you up when you’re trying to dance or sway. Some songs have a sneaky bar or two that’s in a different time signature. The Beatles are quite famous for doing this. It could also be that the time signature is not 4/4 or in triple meter, even though it’s a pop or rock song. Hozier’s From Eden is in 5/4, as is much of Radiohead’s 15 Step. It happens! 

Have Fun With It!

Now that you can hear the rhythm, a whole world is opening for you! Secure in where the underlying pulse is, you can play around with vocal phrasing as you never have before. Your favorite singers do this all of the time, and it’s probably one of the things that makes them your favorite. Now it’s your turn!