I know there have been many discussions, some of which I've started, about kids who just aren't solid counters, or who don't feel a steady pulse. We've all discussed toe tapping vs ta-ta tiki vs one and two and, etc.... All that aside, do you ever get to a point, in the weeks coming up to a recital, where you just cannot seem to repair sloppy rhythms? I know it's almost impossible, but what can you do but have them feel pulse, when it has somehow gotten into their system wrong? One of my students is playing Seasons of Love from Rent. She's done a good job learning the notes, and we spent so much time counting it, clapping it, and she had it straight to start with. But then she goes home, practices it endlessly, incorrectly, and now I'm stuck spending every.....single......lesson trying to repair it. I just can't think how else to approach this. I have her do it correctly over and over, counting out loud, tapping, singing, and she gets it totally while she is here, then goes home and her parents are thrilled that she is playing so much.
What would you do, less than 2 weeks before the recital?

Could your student listen to a recording of the right way at home?

I've had some students who just can't seem to feel syncopation or other complex rhythms. It often helps to play along with them, or sing made up words to match the rhythm. But sometimes, they go home and it just doesn't stick. Perhaps I'm lazy for doing this, but in a few circumstances, I let the rhythm slide in order to address other aspects of the music. The important thing is that the pulse is steady. As long as the correct number of beats are in the measure, and the next downbeat comes at the right time, then I'm not going to majorly fuss over rhythmic details. Just to clarify - this is only for those students who I've worked and worked with, and somehow doesn't click. I do generally strive for rhythmic perfection, especially for a performance piece.

Carol - what I would do is prepare myself to hear the wrong rhythm at the recital.

I have a similar student. We worked so hard on fixing her rhythm for the Christmas recital. I thought we had it fixed. She WAS playing it correctly, finally. But nerves gave way to old habits, and I was very disappointed with her recital performance - and she was unaware.

Having given it some thought in hindsight, I think I will try to work with a recording device at her lessons, and see if I can help her hear what she is doing. Coupled with a recording of the piece played correctly, perhaps I can prevent the problem from becoming so ingrained next time.

But two weeks prior, I just don't think there is time. Perhaps you can pick just the worst spots, and concentrate on those? She will have to practice it correctly, enough times to overcome the habit.

Seasons of Love, like most Broadway music, is incredibly complicated. There are plenty of college music majors who have a lot of trouble with it.

On some level, you have to be able to just "feel" it. The scores tend to be a little approximate, anyway, and cast recordings never quite line up exactly with the printed page.

Hindsight being 20/20, the piece was probably too difficult to begin with, but at this point, probably the best thing for her to do would be to play along with a recording. Since she has the notes down really well, I'd stop trying to count and subdivide and just get the "feel" of it right.

Often, I'll create a drum track for students to play along with. It seems to be a good motivator - as solid as a metronome, but a lot more fun to play with.

My kids have just had this happen over the holidays, and I didn't understand. Their teachers were not emphasizing rhythm. I got on my kids on the rhythm at home, which then crushed their sense of achievement for mastering the fingering, and dynamics. So from now on I will not ask my kids about rhythm at home - first I will talk to the teachers, and ask the teachers to write down any rhythm homework.

Lollipop's right - move on. When it's time for an exam piece take the learning real slow.

A drum track is a great idea, Kreisler! I'd play with the student during the lessons, but also send her home with a recording of it to listen to every day before playing.

That rhythm found in most pop and Broadway music today is very tough to count. Also remember that often it's not written for solo piano, so they'll throw in the melody as well, adding to the complexity. It may even have been written for piano with a band, so that would require even less from the pianist in context, thus making more work for the solo pianist attempting to play this. Of course, you can't get rid of the melody unless you have a singer, but you can simplify it. Treating this music as you would classical music is really not how it works. It was more than likely created in a lead sheet style, and then written out for mass consumption in sheet music sales. Because of that, the rhythms are "too exact," adhering to the professional recording to a T, rather than being more of an improvised rhythm as it was originally. All this is to say, it's OK if the rhythm isn't exact...how does it sound?

Thanks for your comments and thoughts. This is a very simplified version of Seasons of Love, of course, and the girl really really wanted to play it, so I looked all over for a simple enough version. You're right, it's hard for her to feel the syncopation. Or rather, she wants to make it syncopated in parts that aren't, and rushes through straight forward quarter notes. But the hardest concept for her (I've noticed this with other kids) is to rest for AND FOUR and then play on AND. She can count it in lessons, but doesn't at home, so she guesses at where she comes in.
So Morodiene asked how it sounds? Uh...... well, you couldn't tap your foot to it. Some measure have 4 beats, some of 3.5, some have 3. It's excruciating to listen to, for me anyway.
Point well taken, though, and I think next week I will listen to it, tell her good work and it sounds great and now lets have some fun, relax and let it rip!