Rhythm dictation

What is rhythm dictation?

Rhythm dictation means hearing a rhythm and writing it down. It connects what you hear with what you read, which is exactly what drummers, bass players and every musician who reads charts need, and it is part of the aural section of many graded exams.

How to practise rhythm dictation

Listen to the count-in and feel the pulse before the rhythm starts. Then work one beat at a time: does a note land on the beat, between beats, or is the beat silent? Tapping the pulse on your leg while you listen makes this much easier.

Replay the rhythm as often as you need, write it with the note-value buttons, and use undo to fix a beat. When you check your answer you see which beats were right, so you know exactly what to listen for next time.

Simple and compound time

The exercise covers simple time (2/4, 3/4, 4/4) and compound time (6/8, 9/8, 12/8), with dotted rhythms, syncopation, triplets and sixteenth notes at higher levels. The count-in and beats are played on a real drum kit, so the pulse is easy to feel.

Build your timing

Rhythm dictation works best alongside the other rhythm exercises: Keep the beat trains your inner pulse, Rhythm identification asks you to pick the written rhythm you heard, and Tap it back scores how accurately you play a rhythm in time. Prism's online metronome, with polyrhythms and a speed trainer, is the ideal practice partner.

Frequently asked questions