Woo hoo. I’m taking a rhythm training class at the local community college. The technology is so archaic that I love it. The poor youngsters must be frustrated that there’s a CD player and no instant reverse and forward like there would be with an iPhone. I was sort of hoping for an 8 track tape – mwhahaha.

The Blue Book (dun dun dun) has all the rhythms I need to follow. I put on the headset, listen to whatever catchy tune is playing (it can be anything from classical to big band to a frenetic lil ol banjo), and then I have to tap out the rhythm, as written, into the tapping machine, which counts my correct answers.

At first, I just tapped along to the general beat, but quickly learned I need to follow what’s written in the blue book (duh). Eighth notes, sixteenth notes, quarter rests, all kinds of time signatures (what is the value of a dotted sixteenth note in 6/8 time?) – oh my! But it is FUN. And this rhythm training “lab”, by the way, is a glorified closet.  🙂