Has anyone used this book, Rhythmic Training by Robert Starer, and if so, what is your opinion of it.

It has great reviews on Amazon, but I wonder if it would be basic enough to help at my very low level of learning.

Thanks

Exercise 1 is shown in the preview and uses quarter notes and half notes. If you can work that one out, I think the book would be a good fit.

I have been using this book to prepare for my Grade 10 RCM exam and find it very helpful. It does get into fairly complex syncopated rhythms, polyrhythms, less common-place time signatures and so forth. I understand there is another book by Robert Starer called Basic Rhythmic Training, which, I am assuming from the title is more geared to beginners. Regardless, I find the book excellent. He teaches you to keep the basic beat, like a metronome going in one hand, while the other taps out the rhythm being learned. My teacher says she has noticed an improvement in my ability to clap out rhythms since I've begun using it, so I guess it works!

I am not familiar with these books, but this thread reminds me that Starer was also a prolific composer. Some (not all) of his piano pieces are easily accessible to students, and many of them feature modern idioms and interesting rhythms. Several years ago, I worked through a set of Starer's pieces called "Sketches in Color" with one of my teachers. I recall that they were a lot of fun (as I remember, one featured bitonality with two voices in different keys while another was a beginner's introduction to 12-tone serialism). Here's a link to an anthology of his piano music. This may have some interest to students looking for some accessible 20th-century literature that is a little off the usual path.

I have both books, the basic and the advanced. The books are very good but I suppose the question is what do you wish to accomplish with the books. I am a beginner so most of the rhythms I learn are in the method books. When I get good enough to play improvosation, then these books might give me ideas.

I bought the books at a local music store, so you may phone around and see if your music store have them and go and look at them in the music store. Have fun.