Home - Time Focus - Time Lines Contents - Unit 7 Intro

Time Lines Rhythm Exercises for Unit 7
Pickup Notes

Practice pickup notes in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 time signatures with the Unit 7 Time Lines Rhythm Exercises. If you haven’t already done so, read the Unit 7 Introduction: How to Play Pickup Notes, to learn how to count and play these exercises accurately. Select a link below to play along with each video recording. The videos for the exercises include the written music and Time Lines Color Blocks that indicate the relative length of each note and rest. There is also an animated vertical line that moves across the screen to show you where each note and rest begins and ends. Buy Time Lines Book 1 to see all of the exercises, patterns, and melodies in a neatly organized book.

Clap and count the exercises with a metronome or with these videos before playing them on your instrument. Practicing that way will ensure that you are feeling the beat, that you are also feeling every downbeat (beat 1 of each measure), counting the pickup notes accurately, and playing the notes and rests the correct length.

Purchase Time Lines Book 1

Pickup Note Rhythm Exercises

E701 - Pickup note exercise in 3/4

E702 - Pickup note exercise in 4/4

E703 - Pickup note exercise in 3/4

E704 - Pickup note exercise in 4/4

E705 - Pickup note exercise in 2/4

E706 - Pickup note exercise in 3/4

E707 - Pickup note exercise in 3/4

E708 - Pickup note exercise in 4/4

Purchase Time Lines Book 1

Once you have practiced and repeated these exercises accurately, visit the patterns and melodies pages for more examples to play:
Unit 7 Patterns: Pickup note rhythm patterns in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4.
Unit 7 Melodies: Pickup note melodies in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4.

More Tools and Info:
Time Lines introduction
Time Lines Table of Contents
An introduction to rhythm and melody
Practice suggestions
Get the Time Lines book