How to Get Rhythm in Singing

Learning to sing rhythm is a fundamental skill that all serious singers should learn. Often, a singer may get by without knowing how to read notes, but rhythms are essential to playing in a group. While it takes longer, a singer with a good ear may always learn to read music by rote. Rhythms have the potential to become very complex, so it is essential that the singer learn to play them accurately.

Step 1 Study the most common note values. The whole note, half note and quarter note are the most commonly used units of time. Whole notes consist of four clicks of a metronome, half notes consist of two and quarter notes consist of one. Advanced note values include the eighth and 16th notes. The eighth note is half a click and the quarter note is one-quarter of a click. Learn about the equivalent rests as well.

Step 2 Find some simple music that consists of only whole, half and quarter notes. Clap the music and keep the durations exact. If there is a whole note, hold the whole note for four complete beats before moving on to the next note. Practice each piece until you can sing perfectly in time with the metronome.

Step 3 Practice all of your music by clapping along with a metronome first. Only sing, once you can clap the music perfectly.

Make sure to breathe from the diaphragm. Singers that breathe properly have a better time maintaining accurate rhythm, since you lose time each time you have to take an unneeded breath. Don't attempt to sing the entire song through each time. Practice the difficult parts by breaking them down into one to two measure segments.