Hey there - Would you please help clear my head of TOO much confusion :)

Hey there peeps, my name is Matt

I am a complete beginner in terms of learning the piano, and have only just started to pick up speed reading notes on the staff.

I am also from the UK, so my spelling might seem off to some of you

However, I like to have a good theoretical background of knowledge while learning, and have stumbled apon something that is to be honest, driving me crazy, baby!

Right, example 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-Adzsw0DjE

This video tells me that the time signature 2/2 assigns the half note as 1 beat, therefore when read it has one count (1 beat).

Example 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFK-y4MqaEE

This video tells me that the 2/2 time signature assigns, again, the half note as 1 beat, but this time the difference being it's original value of 2 beats are played, each time the note is read on the staff.

Which theory is correct, do you know?

I hope you understand me, if not please feel free to ask questions.

Thanks in advance guys, and I look forward to hearing back from some pros!

All the best,

Matt

Anyone?

hi there

I am totally new with piano, well with instruments in general. dont eaven have a piano yet, but expecting to get one in March this spring.
But i do know that Andrew is covering this topic in this lesson (if i understand you right) ;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CakZxWpkIg0

hope this helps, and good luck there

Hey there. Thanks for the video but unfortunately it doesn't cover the details of 2/2. Infact, I can't find any video that explains 2/2 clearly, without finding another video that conflicts with what is said.

Very frustrating!

:d

That guitar guy should be counting two beats. It is only one beat for each half note. You could count subdivisions if you there are many quarter or eighth notes in the following way:

1 2 |1 2 | or to count quarter notes
1 & 2 & |1 & 2 & | or even for eighth notes
1 ta & ta 2 ta & ta|1 ta & ta 2 ta & ta|

That what I was taught.
Counting aloud you should evenly say either one and two
OR one and two and
OR one ta and ta, two ta and ta.
I hope I made myself clear and this may help.

One more thing. The accent always will go on the numbers. Stronger on the one and little weaker on the two.

Lorenna wrote:That guitar guy should be counting two beats. It is only one beat for each half note. You could count subdivisions if you there are many quarter or eighth notes in the following way:

1 2 |1 2 | or to count quarter notes
1 & 2 & |1 & 2 & | or even for eighth notes
1 ta & ta 2 ta & ta|1 ta & ta 2 ta & ta|

That what I was taught.
Counting aloud you should evenly say either one and two
OR one and two and
OR one ta and ta, two ta and ta.
I hope I made myself clear and this may help.

Howdy,

Thanks for your reply

Just to clarify once and for all...

Each half note in 2/2 time is counted - (1,2) (1,2) with each note counting as 1 in the numerator?

Sorry to go on but I want to get it perfect.

Thanks again,

Matt

Let's see if I can explain it better.
All this thing about counting is really helpful when you are sight reading and mandatory when composing.
However if you are playing a piece that you have listen before and are very familiar with, you don't really need to count at all.
Counting is mostly just to make sure you are getting each note value accurately.

The speed at wich you count will be very slow at the begining and the goal is to play the piece to the speed indicated for the
tempo marking at the begining of the score.

For the time signature 2/2

First: One half note will always last half bar meaning each bar allows only two half notes inside.
The numerator 2 tells us that the bar will have 2 beats.
The number in the denominator tells us the kind of note that takes one beat, in this case 2 stands for a half note.

Second:
The way you decide to count is up to you. It depends on what kind of notes are in the piece and on how comfortable you feel reading their values accurately.
If the score has lots of eighth notes or dotted quarter notes or both, it may be better to count 1 ta & ta 2 ta & ta,
so you can count every single note.

For example the guitar guy in the video is very confusing. What he demostrated sounded as if he were playing whole notes that lasted the two beats of the bar. If he wanted to play what was writen on the board he should have played one note on the one and another on the two.
If he wanted to subdivide the rhythm (although not necessary) he should have said one and two and || one and two and || one and two and....
playing the first half note on the one, saying "and" and then playing the
second half note of the bar while he said two and then "and".

It would be better to explain it through a video though.