Rhythm Workshop

Rhythm Workshop consists of 24 rhythm duets, each with a written preparation page, and 3 basic information / reference pages.

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Purpose

To establish a common vocabulary and a common approach to problem solving for all the rhythm reading and performance challenges most players will ever encounter.

Rhythm Workshop works very well with any musicians, instrumental or vocal, who work primarily from printed music.

There are four levels, and each level contains 6 duets.

  • Level 1: Notes of 1 beat and longer values.

  • Level 2: Dividing the beat into 2 parts.

  • Level 3: Dividing the beat into 3 parts.

  • Level 4: Dividing the beat into 4 parts.

Mastery time

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Mastery time of Rhythm Workshop can take from four hours to two semesters, depending upon the teacher’s preference and the previous training of the players. In most cases, the work will be spread out over a semester or two.

Rapid training for peer coaches (20% of each class is recommended for larger groups) can be completed in a few hours of focused training.

Goals

  1. Efficiently and comprehensively train musicians in this fundamental skill of basic musicianship.

  2. Provide a common vocabulary and a common approach to rhythm reading and problem solving in music performance.

  3. Provide a curriculum to individualize learning, leading to stronger student outcomes. Data can be easily gathered from this work and used for ongoing program development within a PLC program.

  4. Greatly reduce the need for in-rehearsal remediation, leading to more productive and enjoyable rehearsals, ongoing improvement of performance quality, lower dropout rate, and significant reduction in discipline issues.

Specifications

Effective in studio, chamber group, and large group settings. Pre-training 20% of each class to promote peer coaching and efficient class time management is recommended for larger groups.

The Rhythm Workshop curriculum helps students master sight reading in all the time signatures and all rhythms they are likely to encounter. There are 24 rhythm duets, each with a written preparation page. Included are time signatures with 2, 3, and 4 on top and 2, 4, and 8 on the bottom, as well as duets in fast 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8. Students learn to speed-read rhythms by reading entire bars or beat groups at one time.

  • Level 1 has five time signatures with all notes on one beat or longer.

  • Level 2 divides the beat into two parts.

  • Level 3 focuses on dividing the beat into three parts with duets in 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8.

  • Level 4 divides the beat into four parts.

Rhythm Workshop is an efficient way to individualize rhythm reading knowledge and skill training. The author strongly recommends that once the initial introduction to Level 1 and the reference pages is done, allow students to work independently as much as possible. When the group is ready, a brief separate introduction to Level 3 (dotted quarter gets one beat) is advised.

Chaffee Core Musicianship Project Resources

Free instructional videos for each step in the process

Over a dozen free videos are available for use as in-class initial presentations. Links to the videos can be embedded into your online curriculum for easy at-home learner review. There are helpful introductory videos for both teachers and learners. The instructional videos vary from 4 to 11 minutes in length, whereas the Topic Overview videos are about 2 minutes.

Print materials and program information available for download

The complete Rhythm Workshop Student Pack, the complete Key Shapes Student Pack, and the Key Shapes Teacher Guide are all available for a modest fee. They are all downloadable PDFs which are easy to print for student use in class or to load into your online grading software for digital use. Using Notability or other apps, all the work can be completed and submitted digitally.

In-person support

In-person support is available from Mr. Chaffee and the Core Musicianship Project team. For prices and options to fit your needs, please contact Lori Rosolowsky at Open Sky Artists or Clark Chaffee at clarkchaffee@gmail.com.