Sixteenth Notes | Drum Lessons
In this lesson, we’re gonna continue to build upon the foundation laid out in the quarter note and 8th note video lessons. We’ll do this by introducing 16th notes. 16th notes are just another way to subdivide each measure. As you might expect, there are 16 in each measure of 4/4 time. If you look at the count above each 16th note on the provided sheet music, you’ll notice two solid lines connecting each group of four. This is what signifies a group of 16th notes. Looking at the count now, you’ll see the one, two, three and four counts of the quarter notes. Also, you’ll see the end counts of the 8th notes. But, what’s new is the 16th notes subdivisions that are counted with the E and an A sound. Altogether, this first example can be read out loud like this, one E and A two E and A three E and A four E and A one E and A two E and A three E and A four E and A. Just does with quarter and 8th notes, you restart the counting at the beginning of each measure. Take a look at the second example, and you’ll see how to progress from quarter notes to 8th notes and finally to a full measure of 16th notes. Let’s count out this loud together with the metronome set at 80 beats per minute. We’ll go through them twice, one, two, three, and four, and one E and A two E and A three E and A four E and A one, two, three, and four, and one E and A two E and A three E and A four E and A. Just as with the previous lesson on 8th notes that explained how they related to quarter notes, you can see here how everything comes together. In example three, I’ve put together a few measures that incorporate quarter notes, 8th notes, and 16th notes, using a variety of notations symbols. Set your metronome to 80 beats per minute, and count out this loud with me, one, two, three, and four, and one, two, three E and A four E and A one, two, three and four and one E and A two E and A three and four E and A one, two, three and four and one, two, three E and A four E and A one, two, three and four, and one E and A two E and A three and four E and A. Now, again to take things a step further, let’s change the metronome speed, so you can see how it affects the counting. We’d had the metronome set at 80 beats per minute, but we’ll now move it to a hundred beats per minute and progress through the third section of the sheet music again. one, two, three, and four, and one, two, three E and A four E and A one, two, three and four and one E and A two E and A three and four E and A one, two, three and four and one, two, three E and A four E and A one, two, three and four, and one E and A two E and A three and four E and A. Again, you can see how the quarter, 8th, and 16th notes are all directly related. No matter what the speed or tempo is set at, the faster the notes are, the faster all the subdivisions are played. Likewise if you start playing a beat with 16th notes and then move back into 8th notes, they will also be directly related, and that the 8th notes will always be exactly half the speed as the 16th notes. This concept is extremely important, and if you’re having any difficulty understanding this point, I suggest you re-watch these lessons until it all makes sense.