THIRTY-SECONDS GROUPING

There are a lot of ways to permutate 8 subdivisions. I suggest taking a little bit at a time. It is also very difficult to execute the rhythms that start on the even parts of an 8 note grouping. Start very slowly and really make sure you have the rhythm in your head before moving on.

Here are two ways to count the thirty-seconds. No. 1 is as a straight 8 count. This works well at slow tempos and ensures your accuracy. At faster tempos it's not so good. No. 2 shows the relationship of thirty-seconds to sixteenths. This is how I would count the thirty-seconds only after making sure that I have the figure down.

Examples:

How to
count thirty-seconds

In the Polyrhythms and Rhythm Clusters area near the end of the exercises you will notice the use of brackets that would normally be used on odd numbered groupings. Why you might ask? It makes it much easier to read the rhythms in a group when there are lots of figures with broken up thirty-second rests next to each other.

Download the Midi file. Size: 69k

Hear the exercises played at 40 bpm. Time: 38:54

The single beat basics.

Thirty-Seconds 1-36
Thirty-Seconds 37-72
Thirty-Seconds 73-108
Thirty-Seconds 109-144
Thirty-Seconds 145-180
Thirty-Seconds 181-216
Thirty-Seconds 217-255

Polyrhythms and Rhythm Clusters.

Thirty-Seconds 256-264
Thirty-Seconds 265-273

Always use a metronome when practicing the exercises.