The Rhythm Bar Builder
Every bar has to add up to its time signature — but the notes and rests also have to fall in the right places, so you can feel the strong and weak beats. In Complete the bar, finish a half-written bar so it adds up and keeps the pulse clear. Or switch to Build to make up a rhythm of your own from scratch.
How a bar works
- The bottom number is the beat. A 4 means the beat is a crotchet (quarter note); an 8 means it's a quaver (eighth).
- The top number is how many. In 3/4 you need three crotchet beats' worth of notes and rests in every bar.
- Beats have a pulse. Beat 1 is the strongest — so a bar shouldn't start with a rest, and notes and rests should let you feel where every beat falls.
- Show the beat. A rest is broken at each beat, and a note only spills into the next beat if it started on a beat — otherwise it hides the pulse.