Rhythmic dictation means listening to a rhythm and writing it down: which notes sound, where the rests are, and in which measure (UK: bar). This is a collection of exercises organized by note values, from the easiest to the hardest. Each group trains the same material in three ways: recognize the rhythm you hear among four written ones, read a rhythm and recognize its audio, and write it yourself.
The dictations are generated on the spot, played on the note G on the piano and checked instantly. Turn up the volume or use headphones. Note values are named the American way (quarter note, eighth note); the first time a page uses a name that differs in British English, it gives the British name in brackets, for example quarter note (UK: crotchet).
The dictations
Quarter notes and quarter rests
One beat, one figure: two measures of 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4 with quarter notes and quarter rests. This is the first step: learning to keep the pulse inside and to count the rests.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (quarter notes and quarter rests)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (quarter notes and quarter rests)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (quarter notes and quarter rests)Half notes, quarter notes and their rests
The two-beat figures appear: the half note and the half rest. The new skill is hearing how long each note lasts, to tell a half note from a quarter note followed by a rest.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (half notes, quarter notes and rests)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (half notes, quarter notes and rests)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (half notes, quarter notes and rests)Dotted half notes, half notes, quarter notes and their rests
The three-beat figures: the dotted half note and its rest, in 3/4 and 4/4 (a dotted half note does not fit in 2/4). You have to count each duration carefully and keep the pulse through three beats of silence.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (dotted half notes)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (dotted half notes)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (dotted half notes)Whole notes, dotted half notes, half notes, quarter notes and their rests
The longest figure: the whole note and its rest, which fill a 4/4 measure (they do not fit in 2/4 or 3/4). You have to hold the pulse for four beats of note or rest.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (whole notes)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (whole notes)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (whole notes)Quarter notes, eighth notes and quarter rests
The beat is divided: pairs of eighth notes split one beat in two halves, alongside quarter notes and quarter rests. Eighth notes always come in pairs.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (quarter and eighth notes)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (quarter and eighth notes)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (quarter and eighth notes)Half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes and their rests
Pairs of eighth notes with half notes, quarter notes and their rests: long notes and divided beats in the same dictation.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (half and eighth notes)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (half and eighth notes)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (half and eighth notes)Dotted half notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes and their rests
Pairs of eighth notes with the three-beat figures, in 3/4 and 4/4.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (dotted half and eighth notes)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (dotted half and eighth notes)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (dotted half and eighth notes)Whole notes, dotted half notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes and their rests
Every figure from the whole note to the eighth note, in 4/4: the pulse stays the same in the longest notes and in the divided beats.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (whole and eighth notes)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (whole and eighth notes)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (whole and eighth notes)Quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes and quarter rests
The beat divided into four: groups of four sixteenth notes next to pairs of eighth notes, with quarter notes and quarter rests. You have to count how many notes fit in each beat.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (quarter notes and sixteenths)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (quarter notes and sixteenths)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (quarter notes and sixteenths)Half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes and their rests
Sixteenth notes with half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes and their rests.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (half notes and sixteenths)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (half notes and sixteenths)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (half notes and sixteenths)Dotted half notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes and their rests
Sixteenth notes with the three-beat figures, in 3/4 and 4/4.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (dotted half notes and sixteenths)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (dotted half notes and sixteenths)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (dotted half notes and sixteenths)Whole notes, dotted half notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes and their rests
Every figure from the whole note to the sixteenth note, in 4/4.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (whole notes and sixteenths)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (whole notes and sixteenths)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (whole notes and sixteenths)Quarter notes, eighth notes and the eighth rest
The off-beat: an eighth rest followed by an eighth note, a note that enters in the middle of the beat, with quarter notes, pairs of eighth notes and quarter rests. You have to hear whether each note falls on the beat or between two beats.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (quarter notes and eighth rests)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (quarter notes and eighth rests)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (quarter notes and eighth rests)Quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes and the eighth rest
The off-beat together with sixteenth notes: eighth rest and eighth note, pairs of eighth notes and groups of four sixteenth notes, quarter notes and quarter rests. From here on, sixteenth notes appear in every group.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (sixteenths and eighth rests)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (sixteenths and eighth rests)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (sixteenths and eighth rests)Half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, the eighth rest and their rests
The eighth rest and eighth note with half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes and their rests.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (half notes and eighth rests)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (half notes and eighth rests)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (half notes and eighth rests)Dotted half notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, the eighth rest and their rests
The eighth rest and eighth note with the three-beat figures and the sixteenth notes, in 3/4 and 4/4.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (dotted half notes and eighth rests)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (dotted half notes and eighth rests)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (dotted half notes and eighth rests)Whole notes, dotted half notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes, the eighth rest and their rests
The eighth rest and eighth note with every figure, from the whole note to the sixteenth note, in 4/4.
1. Which rhythm is playing?
The dictation plays and you choose which of the four written rhythms it is.
Start Which rhythm is playing? (whole notes and eighth rests)2. Which audio is it?
The other way around: you read the rhythm and pick which of four audios sounds as written.
Start Which audio is it? (whole notes and eighth rests)3. Write the dictation
You hear the rhythm and write it with cards, bar lines included, with no options to choose from. The check tells you what you got wrong.
Start Dictation (whole notes and eighth rests)The three exercises in each group train the same skill from two directions: from sound to score (recognize and write) and from score to sound (read). If you make many mistakes in the dictation, go back to the first two: it is the best way to find out whether the problem is hearing the rhythm or writing it.
Frequently asked questions
To keep working on written rhythm, try the note value exercises and completing measures; and for your ear, the rest of the ear training exercises.