Now let’s discuss rhythm a bit. In Bluegrass, for the most part, there are a couple of time signatures: 2/4 and 6/8. There are others, obviously, but for now let’s stick to these two.
Starting with 2/4, we’ll take the measure apart and learn the mathematics behind it.
A “2/4 time” means there are two beats per measure (the 2/_ part of the fraction) and each beat (of the two beats) is equivalent to a ¼ (one-quarter_/4) note. There are two ¼ notes in a measure, thus 2/4.
A quarter-note lasts for one beat and is counted: “1”. A full measure consisting only of quarter-notes would count this way:”1 2”. Eighth-notes occur twice as fast as quarter-notes, thus, a full measure of 1/8 notes would be counted: “1 & 2 &”. Notice that in 2/4 time, there are two quarter-notes or four eighth-notes or their equivalent in each measure. There can also be eight sixteenth-notes. A vocalist may be singing one “half-note” which lasts for two beats while the banjoist is playing eight sixteenth-notes and the fiddler sawing out four eighth-notes. There are endless combinations to the rhythms available. How many thirty-second notes are possible in a 2/4 measure?
If you’re tapping your foot to the time, “1” would occur on the down beat (this is when your foot touches the floor, on the accent,) and “and” would occur on the upbeat; “2” would occur on the down beat and “and” would occur on the upbeat, and so forth throughout the tune.
Tap these rhythms out:
/ * ^ * ^ / = 1/8 note, followed by 1/8 rest also equivalent to an 1/8 beat (on upbeat), 1/8 note, followed by another 1/8 rest (nothing sounds at this mark ^)
/ * * * * / = 1/8 note on down beat, 1/8 note on upbeat, 1/8 note on down beat, 1/8 note on up beat
/ **** * * / = two 1/16 notes on down beat and two 1/16 on up, followed by 1/8 on down and 1/8 on up
/ **** **** / = two 1/16 on down and 2 1/16 on up followed by two 1/16 on down and 2 1/16 on up
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