Reading rhythm slashes

Reading rhythm slashes

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Musicians use a variety of shorthand tricks to indicate certain musical directions.

They use this shorthand because, although a particular musical concept

itself is often simple enough, to notate that idea in standard written

music form may prove unduly complicated and cumbersome. So they use a

“cheat sheet” or a “road map” that gets the point across yet avoids the issue

of reading (or writing) music.

Rhythm slashes are slash marks (/) that simply tell you how to play rhythmically

but not what to play. The chord in your left hand determines what you

play. Say, for example, that you see the diagram shown below.

this rhythm slashes chart shows that you have to play the first chord shown above four times 1,2,3,3 then second and third chords two times for each.