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OP
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And it was fun!
I'm having some rhythm issues and normally I'd just tap them out on my leg or a tabletop to get the gist.
My teacher was helping me through this today and says, "Hey! This'll be fun!" and sits me down at his drum kit (he teaches drums, too) and proceeds to demonstrate a couple of the rhythms I'm struggling with and hands me the sticks. I managed to copy him, in a very uncoordinated fashion, but it was really cool to be encouraged to bang the bejeezus out of the things and get the feel for the timings. And to make a LOT of noise!:)
I won't be changing instruments anytime soon, but it certainly was neat to try a new approach to my timing troubles!
Collector of sheet music I can't play.
Chickering & Sons Quarter Grand (rebuilt 2021)
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So - what was the rhythm you were struggling with?
I'm struggling with a nasty bit of Beethoven at the moment and I cant get the rhythm right. It has a semiquaver sextuplet chord pattern in RH: BGDGDG-BGDGDG against straight semiquaver descending scale in LH: GF#ED-CBAG (sorry if thats hard to visualise)...
For some reason this is really troubling me. If I take the scale out and make the LH chordal I can do the relative rhythmic stuff ok - but put in the scale and the rhythm goes nuts!
Back to super-slow practice for me!!!! :-( (alas I dont think a drum kit will help me)
Parent.... Orchestral Viola player (stictly amateur).... Hack Pianist.... (faded skills from glory days 20 yrs ago) Vague Guitar & Bass player.... (former minor income stream 15 yrs ago) Former conductor... (been a long time since I was set loose with a magic wand!)
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I just mentioned in another thread how I use drum exercises to work hand coordination. Simplifying it to one rhythm per hand is usually the best way to start. And banging on a drum for the fun element isn't a bad idea. Put a drum kit on the wish list. I'm struggling with a nasty bit of Beethoven at the moment and I cant get the rhythm right. It has a semiquaver sextuplet chord pattern in RH: BGDGDG-BGDGDG against straight semiquaver descending scale in LH: GF#ED-CBAG (sorry if thats hard to visualise)... That's a 3 against 2 problem, a common struggle. You could also practice this drum style, or by tapping your hands on a table. Try to get the triplets in your right hand going while you tap out the 2 in your left hand. Once you get that feel down, getting that translated to the individual notes will be easier. Let me see if I can get this to look right: RH: 1---2---3--- LH: 1-----2-----
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Joined: Aug 2009
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That's a 3 against 2 problem, a common struggle. You could also practice this drum style, or by tapping your hands on a table. Try to get the triplets in your right hand going while you tap out the 2 in your left hand. Once you get that feel down, getting that translated to the individual notes will be easier.
Let me see if I can get this to look right: RH: 1---2---3--- LH: 1-----2-----
^^Classic "Nice cup of tea" rhythm 4:3 is a much tougher: "Dont forget the butter" RH: 1---2---3--- LH: 1--2--3--4-- I must've 'mis-remembered' and quoted it wrong. Its actually 3 against 4 problem not a 3v2. As I mentioned, if I take the notes out of it and I can do it standing on my head tapping out the rhythm - but for some reason that particular scale v arpeggio in that rhythm throws me at the moment. Since I'm perfectly happy with 11:6 and 23:5 etc etc polyrhythms in other places I have not doubt I'll crack it - just its a surprisingly simple corner to fall over with!
Parent.... Orchestral Viola player (stictly amateur).... Hack Pianist.... (faded skills from glory days 20 yrs ago) Vague Guitar & Bass player.... (former minor income stream 15 yrs ago) Former conductor... (been a long time since I was set loose with a magic wand!)
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 560
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OP
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It is a 3 against 2 issue. I'm trying to fit the ornamentation into a Clementi sonatine and it just won't go! Sometimes I need to accent a beat that's not the first in the measure. I know exactly what has to be done, can hear it in my head, but just ... can't ... make ... fingers ... cooperate. Getting the beat right on the drum helped to internalize the proper rhythm.
Collector of sheet music I can't play.
Chickering & Sons Quarter Grand (rebuilt 2021)
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Jeanie, I've played the drums for years and certainly agree that the ability to keep a beat helps tremendously.
Many people still don't fully understand that the piano is a percussion instrument exactly as drums themselves are.
You play a drum kit with passion, sometimes playing softly, sometimes going nuts. Whatever the piece calls for at that moment. Playing the piano is really no different. You do what is called for when it is called for.
I can remember vividly back in high school band days wanting to be able to play the melody of a tune and not be limited to just keeping the beat. Don't get me wrong, 'keeping the beat' is an extremely important function of any ensemble but I still wanted to be able to 'play the melody' at some point.
Piano allows me to finally do that.
Learning to play the drums is a great skill to acquire and can only enhance your existing piano skills.
Good for you.
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I must've 'mis-remembered' and quoted it wrong. Its actually 3 against 4 problem not a 3v2. As I mentioned, if I take the notes out of it and I can do it standing on my head tapping out the rhythm - but for some reason that particular scale v arpeggio in that rhythm throws me at the moment. Since I'm perfectly happy with 11:6 and 23:5 etc etc polyrhythms in other places I have not doubt I'll crack it - just its a surprisingly simple corner to fall over with! Ah, I see! You could try altering the fingers in your left hand to turn on different notes. If you're fine with the rhythm normally, there must be something mechanical about this passage that is tripping you up. Right hand seems straight forward, so if you're using the traditional 1-2-3-1-2-3-4 fingering in your left hand, maybe try 1-2-1-2-3-1-2-3 or even 1-2-1-2-1-2 to see if it clicks. Just a thought.
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