Matt Teitelman
What is "The Beat?"
In this music theory lesson focused on rhythmic counting, Matt Teitelman (Kanye West), introduces the concept of "The Beat" which is essential to the way that rhythm is understood in music.
Quarter, Half and Whole Notes
In this music theory lesson, Matt Teitelman discusses quarter, half and whole notes and how to utilize these to find the beat and how to recognize, count, and write them.Â
8th, 16th and 32nd Note Subdivisions
In this music theory lesson, Matt Teitelman (Kanye West). introduces the eighth note, sixteenth note, and thirty-second note, which are all subdivisions of the beat.
Rests
Gain a deeper understanding of musical rests in all forms. Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) focuses on teaching you when not to play, but to still keep counting with a rest, or a pause in the music.
Understanding Dotted Rhythms
Gain a deeper understanding of rhythm in modern music with the introduction to dotted rhythms as Matt Teitelman explains what a dotted note does and describes what it looks like.
Common Half, Quarter and Dotted Quarter Rhythms
 Matt Teitelman introduces common rhythms using half notes, dotted half notes, and quarter notes and demonstrates them by counting the beat and clapping the rhythm.Â
Common Quarter, Dotted Quarter, and Eighth Note Rhythms
Matt Teitelman introduces common rhythms using using quarter notes, dotted quarter notes, and eighth notes and demonstrates them by counting the beat and clapping the rhythm.Â
Common 8th, Dotted 8th and 16th Note Rhythms
Matt Teitelman introduces common rhythms using eighth notes, dotted eighth notes, and sixteenth notes and demonstrates them by counting the beat and clapping the rhythm.Â
Understanding How Tempo Works
Matt Teitelman explains how to understand the speed of music through the concept of tempo, the rate at which a piece of music is played independently of rhythm.Â
Test #1: Whole Notes Through 16th Notes
Test your knowledge of whole notes through sixteenth notes with this exercise designed to determine your understanding of the elements of rhythm.
Understanding Tied Notes
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) focuses on when, how, and why to use musical ties in music notation and shows you examples.
Playing Off the Beat
Matt Teitelman talks about syncopation, or playing off the beat, and explains how some beats are stronger and others weaker and how playing on the off beat adds a sense of tension and release.
Dividing Notes Into Groups of Three
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) discusses how to divide notes into groups of three using triplets, how to create a triplet and how to count them.
Counting 8th Note Triplets
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) explores ways to manipulate the triplets to make interesting rhythms with the introduction to common eighth note triplet rhythms.
Counting 16th Note Triplets
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) explores ways to manipulate the triplets to make interesting rhythms with the introduction to common sixteenth note triplet rhythms.Â
Understanding "Swing" in Rhythm
Matt Teitelman introduces swing rhythms across all music genres. Swing rhythms are based on eighth note triplets and Matt demonstrates various ways to play, count and write these.
Test #2: Triplets
Test your knowledge of triplet rhythms and rhythmic concepts.Â
Understanding How Time Signatures Work
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) explains the basic rules of time signatures and explores many of the note combinations possible.Â
Understanding the 3/4 Time Signature
Matt Teitelman discusses the 3/4 time signature, otherwise known as waltz time, and demonstrates this time signature with several musical examples.Â
Understanding 2/2 and 2/4 Time Signatures
Matt Teitelman explores the 2/2, or cut time, and the 2/4 time signatures often used in marching music, as well as, samba or salsa music.
Understanding 6/8 and 12/8 Time Signatures
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) examines the 6/8 and 12/8 time signatures and explains the reasons for using an eighth note pulse versus a quarter note pulse.
Understanding 5/4 and 7/4 Time Signatures
Matt Teitelman explores the 5/4 and 7/4 time signatures and gives you examples where these odd time signatures are used.Â
Working With Alternating Time Signatures
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) explains alternating time signatures, also known as changing or shifting time signatures, and examines examples of these within a single piece of music.
Understanding the Clave Concept and Pattern
Matt Teitelman delves into the rhythm known as clave, named for the instrument that it is played on (the claves), discussing it as an opportunity to explore beats of different length.Â
Understanding How Polyrhythms Work
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) explores the concept of polyrhythms, providing musical examples of these counter rhythms and gives mnemonic devices to remember them.
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West), demonstrates the full stroke, the downstroke, the tap, and the upstroke and explains when and how to play these.
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West), demonstrates the five stroke roll which is a short roll with a distinct beginning and end and takes you through an exercise to get you familiar with this drum pattern.
Drum Rudiments
Learn the seven stroke roll which builds on the five stroke roll but is more challenging to alternate the sticking because it starts and ends on different hands.
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West), demonstrates the nine stroke roll which builds on the previous stroke rolls and consists of four pairs of double strokes and one single.
Drum Rudiments
Build on the 4 basic strokes of drumming learned in a previous lesson by adding in accent notes. Matt Teitelman shows you several accent note exercises for you to practice variations.Â
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) explains what strokes make up a double paradiddle and how you play double paradiddles with increasing and decreasing speed, and where to accent the strokes.
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West), explains the drum pattern and provides you with tips and techniques to play and practice the double stroke roll to achieve a clean, even sound.Â
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) teaches you to play the flam accent, a three note rudiment, and demonstrates an exercise to play these with increasing and decreasing speed.
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) teaches you about flams explaining what a flam is, how to play it ,what it should sound like and how to practice one.Â
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West), teaches you to play the flam tap and shows you the right handed and left handed flam tap variations stressing the need to keep a nice, consistent sound.Â
Stick Technique Essentials
Learn stick control and how to hold drum sticks with Matt Teitelman (Kanye West). This is the very first thing you need to learn as a drummer!Â
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) shows you another drum rudiment, the paradiddle, and explains what strokes make up a paradiddle and how you play them with increasing and decreasing speed.Â
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) shows you another drum rudiment, the paradiddle-diddle, and explains what strokes make up a paradiddle-diddle, where the accent is, and how to play them.
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman discusses the natural accent that occurs when playing a paradiddle and how it improves the flow and introduces fluidity to your playing.
Drum Rudiments
Learn stick control and how to play the pataflafla on drums. Matt Teitelman discusses the most common ways drummers play the pataflafla and offers suggestions on the best ways to practice.
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) teaches another drum rudiment, the ratamacue. Matt explains what drum strokes make up the ratamacue, how to play it and explains how it fits into the beat.
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman teaches this drum rudiment, the ruff, also known as the drag, and explains how the ruff differs from the flam and how the low hand plays two notes that sound like one beat.Â
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman introduces the first drum rudiment with the single stroke roll. Matt explains the simple drum pattern and provides you with tips to practice it to achieve a clean, even sound.
Drum Rudiments
Matt Teitelman (Kanye West) teaches this drum rudiment, similar to the flam accent with different sticking. Matt explains what drum strokes make up swiss army triplet and demonstrates how play them.
