Syncopation and Anticipation (Sync and Antic) - a series within the overall Musicarta Beat and Rhythm Cookbook - presents an opportunity to hone your rhythmic skills on a simple series of paired notes.

Syncopation & Anticipation - Module One

This is the rhythmic example we're working up to in this series of lessons. Just watch and listen carefully.

The riff is based on these four pairs of notes.

Work through this 'flash card' section.

Find the notes and play through at a steady rhythm.

Play each pair twice, in quarter notes/crotchets, with a long pair to finish.

Now start mixing long (minim/half-note) and shorter (crotchet/quarter) notes.

Change twice as quickly.

Cutting now to eighth-notes (quavers), play each top note and its next-door-below neighbour, over minims in the left hand.

Now the same right hand over quarter notes in the left hand.

Now go on to Page 2 of this series.