Saxophone beginners Words to help with timing

[drrob7]

Talking about how to help count triplets in 4/4 time in another thread has made me curious as to what words or sayings people use in their head to help with timings.

For example I use:
Triplet - sat-ur-day
Quintuplet (5) - hip-o-pot-o-mus
Eighth note followed by two sixteenths: plum pud-ding
Two sixteenths followed by an eighth: ap-ple pie

I'm keen to know others to help with tricky note groups ...

 

[jbtsax]

I used to teach beginners note values using the names of pies.

quarter note (crotchet) peach, peach, peach, peach
eighth notes (quavers) ap-ple, ap-ple, ap-ple, ap-ple
eighth note triplets blue-ber-ry, blue-ber-ry, blue-ber-ry, blue-ber-ry
sixteenth notes (semiquavers) boy-sen-ber-ry, boy-sen-ber-ry, boy-sen-ber-ry, boy-sen-ber-ry

for a 5 note group (quintuplet) u-ni-ver-si-ty

Rather than sayings or words for different rhythms, I found the counting to be just as effective using
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &.
1 & (2) & for a syncopation 2 is felt but silent
1 (&)(2) & for a dotted quarter (crotchet) and eighth (quaver) & 2 are felt but silent

 

[BUMNOTE]

I use some of the above to help me,its the words i use in my head when i get it wrong that are unprintable!!Bumnote.

 

[JonTheReeds]

How about 'nice of tea' for playing 3 against 2' or 'you're a big fat orange' 4 against 5?

 

[MandyH]

For my first sax exam, I played a piece called Ted's Shuffle (I think) my teacher taught the rhythms as Strawberry jam, Strawberry Jam, Ice cream and strawberry jam!

 

[kernewegor]

If its a song and the score has words, memorise them, listen to it being sung etc.

 

[littleplum]

For Crotchets I use the word Walk and for pairs of quavers I use the word Running. It sits well in the students mind, because Running is faster than Walking.

Triplets I use the word Merrily.

I also use the Hippopotamus for 5ths and antidisastablishmnet for 7ths

Dave

 

[drrob7]

For Crotchets I use the word Walk and for pairs of quavers I use the word Running. It sits well in the students mind, because Running is faster than Walking.

Triplets I use the word Merrily.

I also use the Hippopotamus for 5ths and antidisastablishmnet for 7ths

Dave

For 7ths I use happy hippopotamus