Clair de Lune Tutorial: How to Count the First Page (Including 2:3 Rhythms)

[@FlexLessons]

I realize the use of the word "Polyrhythm" doesn't technically apply to the first page because we haven't experienced two different simultaneous rhythms in the piece yet. However, you are still counting groups of two against a pulse that can be divided by three, which is essentially the same concept with regards to counting.

[@onlyBOND]

This is incredible helpful! The rhythm looked really intimidating but you really made the first page much easier. Thanks

[@FlexLessons]

You're so welcome!

[@nilen]

Thanks so much, I love this piece

[@TylerDowning-v3d]

Thanks! You are an excellent teacher.

[@FlexLessons]

Thank you for saying that! I hope that I have helped in some way!

[@ipekserpilkesen4761]

This video needs much more credit thank you so goddamn much🫶

[@FlexLessons]

Feel free to share! I am glad you found it so helpful.

[@lisaamusic]

THANKS

[@estherkotsevich5389]

Thanks for the video Was super useful 🙏

[@vladelena7431]

Very very helpful! I'm playing with playing this song for 15 years now, and it's the first time when it's not like you started it in the video 😂❤

[@FlexLessons]

I am glad to hear this. Too many pianists play it the first way! Haha.

[@tirzahstrobos8694]

This is the first time i've ever really understood triplets etc.... Why has no one ever explained it like this!!! My life is changed

[@FlexLessons]

I love this comment because it's exactly how I felt when this was originally explained to me. While have had plenty of teachers, only one of them knew to share this information with me. I am glad it helped you as well!

[@awen1029]

Thank you so so much for this video. It really cleared up my confusion with this piece!

[@FlexLessons]

I'm so glad!

[@ChocolaV]

Thank you! This is super helpful❤

[@Helix3829]

Very helpful, thank you!

[@Montagic]

This was super helpful! This is one of the first pieces I'm tackling in lessons that 1) is a quite a bit harder than most I've done, mostly in rhythm and 2) my first time with a poly rhythm, not counting In The Real Early Morning by Jacob Collier which took me probably 3 months to learn, and I definitely don't have the timing down on that one haha. Thanks for the vid!

[@FlexLessons]

Glad you found it so helpful! This way of counting actually works on quite a bit of rep.

[@dylanjongsma8697]

This is great! Your use of the tablet is so effective and seamless, it's truly beneficial to your teaching. I'm not going to lie, I am definitely that person you portrayed in the intro, and I gave up after failing to count out the 9/8 rhythm. This was so helpful. Thank you!

[@FlexLessons]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for your kind words!

[@andreweaton6363]

This is the first piece I ever tried to learn, immediately after learning every major scale but before learning to read music or learning ANYTHING about music theory. That beginning demonstration sounds EXACTLY like the recording minus the talking 😂😂😂😂

[@FlexLessons]

Haha...I thought it was a pretty realistic rendition of how I often hear it played.

[@andreweaton6363]

@FlexLessons While that may be true, it's extremely unrealistic as a first song choice 😅🤣

[@FlexLessons]

@andreweaton6363 That is definitely true!

[@DirkdeZwijger]

thanks! great and easy to understand tutorial :) have a nice day

[@FlexLessons]

You're welcome!

[@annsheppard4119]

Thank you! I have struggled for so long to get this piece rythmic. When playing normal 2 v 3 (as in Debussy's Arabesque) I had the quavers to set against the triplets. This is so much harder - all the silent space; that counting method is very helpful.

[@FlexLessons]

I am glad this helped you! Note that this counting method works well in Arabesque as well as a number of other pieces, I am surprised at how often I am able to use it!

[@beckyvavla5654]

This has helped me so much, thank you! At the beginning of your video I thought you were serious and I almost turned it off. I’m glad I stuck around a few more seconds😊

[@FlexLessons]

I am so glad you found it helpful. My wife said that about the beginning! Haha. Still, I thought folks would be able to relate.

[@lshwadchuck5643]

Hilarious opening, very generous instruction. You demystify, but still play beautifully.

[@FlexLessons]

Thank you :)

[@LtotheB]

Amazing, tx!

[@DamDominiciMusic]

You're an amazing musician and teacher. What a great explanation!

[@FlexLessons]

Thank you! 😃

[@tesahorstmann5273]

This was SOO helpful, thank you!!

[@FlexLessons]

You're so welcome!

[@kath8011]

This is awesome!!! Thank you sooo much for making this video❤❤ I am learning Clair de Lune and struggle with the 9/8 time signature ❤❤

[@FlexLessons]

I hope you struggle no longer!

[@kath8011]

@@FlexLessons your video has helped me ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you 🙏🏻

[@FlexLessons]

You are welcome! I am so glad it helped. @@kath8011

[@AcousticBruce]

This is absolutely amazing... yes I was thinking this! Wow does this help!

[@FlexLessons]

Glad it was helpful! I remember when these concepts were first explained to me...it unlocked so much repertoire for me.

[@johnhogg2130]

Amazing! Thank you. ‘O let’ the fun begin. X

[@FlexLessons]

Haha...yes!

[@FrancoGalvez-vf2xm]

great explanation! thanks you so much :D

[@FlexLessons]

You're very welcome!

[@portalkeeper978]

Very helpful, thanks so much

[@mariashab]

Thank you so much!

[@LouisMCollins]

This was amazing and so helpful! Thank you!!

[@FlexLessons]

You're so welcome!

[@vTonari]

Thank god 🎉

[@Musicmaker-Cologne]

I`m no piano player but it sounds very good to me. Keep on. 👋

[@gunorijssel7987]

Hi, I tell you what: from day one I started visiting these CdL you tubes on the internet, I went struggling with 'a stone in my shoe'. At the time I couldn't lay my finger on the root-cause of the problem. NOW I CAN! What happens is that you guys ALL OVER YOU TUBE have made COUNTING CORRECTLY the most important issue in Clair de Lune. By going after: "Debussy said so" you guys have REDUCED this piece to a kind of TECHNO-EXAM!! "LOOK TEACH, (I may NOT play this piece very beautifully; but YOU have to agree that MY COUNTING was FULLY IN LINE with Debussy" I'm sorry to say so: BUT THIS IS MUSIC and NOT ALGEBRA! With your permission, I do my own counting, which to MY and MY audience sounds perfectly well................ByBy!!

[@FlexLessons]

All I am trying to do here is demonstrate one particular way on how to interpret the music accurately. This is the starting point for any musical interpretation. After all...why did Debussy choose this particular time signature and these rhythms if it didn't matter? Also, I promise you that Paul Barton knows how to count this piece. When you can count and feel rhythm at a high level, you can do amazing things with music.

[@jinnans_gd]

my ass got mesmerized by the one oh and let two oh and let three oh and let

[@FlexLessons]

Haha! Me too when I first learned it.

[@BeverlyRose330]

Super helpful!

[@zara27520]

Thanks so much!!!!!🙏

[@FlexLessons]

You're welcome!

[@adrianatipton7305]

Saw one lamp in the recommended equipment, but where did you get the one behind you in this video? 🤩 I really like it!

[@FlexLessons]

It's the Dale Tiffany "Stone Gate Table Lamp". I love it!

[@olliedollie3130]

hello! This is so enlightening to learn!!! I’ve never been able to conceptualise the rhythm of this piece and sounded exactly like your parody in the beginning. How do you suggest counting the grace note in measure 18 within the duplet?

[@FlexLessons]

I am so glad you found this helpful! For that measure, you might find it helpful to either not count, or count without the grace note to get a sense of the measure and then add the grace note after. You could also count so slowly that you can easily fit the grace note between the syllables. In the case of this piece, use the counting to help you understand the overall rhythm and ensure that things are proportional. Once you have done that, you don’t need to count, at least for the purpose of understanding the rhythm. I hope that helps!

[@beckychristiansen8954]

LOL! During the 1st minute 😆

[@danielnadar75]

Beautiful Even with Counting! Do we have this one in MasterWork Classics?

[@FlexLessons]

Unfortunately no...for some reason, Dr. Magrath didn't really cover Debussy in the Masterwork Classics. I will put this in one of the supplemental courses when I get to material of this level.

[@FlexLessons]

@@danielnadar75 I very much appreciate you saying that! It will definitely come at the right time. It is sort of up there in difficulty and many folks underestimate it. However, if you understand the timing, it does get a lot easier.

[@kennethobrien13]

Impressive!

[@FlexLessons]

Thanks, Ken! Nice to hear from you.

[@roxiethecockapoo1138]

Thank you so much! I was struggling for weeks thinking that I had learned ryhym wrong my whole life! It turned out I just counted the dotted quarter notes as 2.5 beats instead of 3...

[@roxiethecockapoo1138]

I finished the video and your technique with the compound meter was even more helpful. Thank goodness for this video.

[@FlexLessons]

I am so glad you found it helpful!

[@roxiethecockapoo1138]

​@@FlexLessons One question: Why say 1 o and let with duplets instead of just 1 and let? Is this just to keep track of the o? Could it still be 1 and let?

[@FlexLessons]

@@roxiethecockapoo1138 1 o let gives you syllables to subdivide a group of 3. 1 o and let is shorthand for 1 and o and let and...we only need that middle "and" to keep track of where the duplet goes. Hope that makes sense.

[@tesahorstmann5273]

Any advice on counting measure 27-30?

[@FlexLessons]

Everything lines up perfectly by saying "1 o let 2 o let 3 o let" or "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9". If you need to subdivide to work it out, try "1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 +".

[@AcousticBruce]

What nocturne did you mention at the beginning of the video?

[@FlexLessons]

I was referring to the Grieg Nocturne Op. 54, No. 4 from his Lyric Pieces. This piece is actually a perfect preparatory study for something like Clair de Lune.

[@AcousticBruce]

@@FlexLessons so the Grieg piece is something to study first? Well, looks like I am jumping the gun again. I am just really motivated. I decided to learn this song entirely on KZbin lives as a challenge. I put 4 hours in Sunday.

[@FlexLessons]

@AcousticBruce you can do whatever you like! It’s just that the Grieg Nocturne is objectively easier than this piece.

[@AcousticBruce]

@@FlexLessons if I had known before I started, I might have chose the greige piece because it is wonderful.

[@Duney224]

lmao the first part feels so close to home, hence why I am watching this hehe.

[@FlexLessons]

Close to home for many! Thanks for watching :)

[@bloodborne_pc_2025]

weird question but for measure 3, could we interpret that measure in 3/4 time signature? a triplet on beat one, two eighth notes on beat 2, two eighth notes on beat 3? Or does this produce the wrong rhythm?

[@FlexLessons]

It produces the same exact rhythm actually. I am basically doing that already by feeling 9/8 with 3 pulses.

[@bloodborne_pc_2025]

@@FlexLessons thank you for taking the time to reply on an older video!

[@FlexLessons]

@@bloodborne_pc_2025 Happy to help!

[@pablodominguez9772]

i still don't understand the when exactly to put the + in the middle of 0 and let

[@FlexLessons]

The "+" is the symbol for the word "and" which goes exactly between the O let. You can fully subdivide to get a sense of this (1 + O + Let +). Then, just remove the divisions that you don't need.

[@Makes-and-Mods]

But what about the 6's 😢 I'm hoping it's just three o+let in a row?

[@FlexLessons]

Are you talking about m19 and 21 or something else?

[@Makes-and-Mods]

@@FlexLessons yes! 19 21 23...

[@Makes-and-Mods]

@@FlexLessons From your lesson, I'm thinking the right hand notes land on the capitals here: one o AND let TWO o AND let THREE o AND let. Did I understand it well enough? Thanks heaps for the vid btw, I'm afraid I was in the 'hold it for about that longish group' 🫤

[@FlexLessons]

@@Makes-and-Mods Yep...you got it! I should have went to that point in my example...sorry! You are very welcome!

[@Makes-and-Mods]

@@FlexLessons 👍👍👍👍👍 Thanks heaps for the replies!

[@katttttt]

9:20

[@selibinaa]

6:02

[@sigallamichel8840]

Somptueuse rigueur

[@gunorijssel7987]

THIS is what AI hear in CLAIRE DE LUNE.......WITHOUT COUNTING: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqnRaZSQf8SCrac

[@robertcook2572]

No, don't get the 'and' bit.

[@FlexLessons]

The "and" represents the half way point between another syllable. One (and) O (and) Let (and) is reduced to One O (and) Let because it's easier to say. You can line up a 2:3 polyrhythm using this method of counting because the syllable "and" lines up for both the duple and triple counting.

[@KD-pw2zm]

Great tutorial. Thank you!

[@FlexLessons]

You are welcome!