Counting Rests (Right Hand)

Silence is part of the rhythm. Keep counting through every gap.

Level:
3 of 6
Hands:
Right hand
Key:
C major
Notes:
6
Range:
C4 to G4
One run:
about 11 seconds at 80 bpm

The notes, in order

6 notes, one at a time.

  1. C4
  2. D4
  3. E4
  4. F4
  5. G4
  6. G4

How to practise it

  1. Count the rests out loud, they are as long as the notes
  2. Lift the finger cleanly so the silence is really silent
  3. Coming back in exactly on time is the whole exercise

The scale behind it

This one is built on the C Major scale: C D E F G A B (no sharps or flats). Its right-hand fingering runs 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-5, and the scale page has the full diagram if you want to hear the shape on its own first.

How to play it here

Play along on the keys with your mouse, your computer keyboard, a touch screen, or a MIDI keyboard you have plugged in. Every key can show its own name, and the metronome will hold the tempo while you work through the 6 notes.

What it trains

  • rhythm
  • rests
  • counting

More rhythm

Subdivision and steady time, which is the skill people skip and then cannot hide.

All piano exercises