Dear Teachers,

I am an adult student working on Mozart Sonatas. I have dificulty with popular music because of the different rhythms.

Do you think this would be a good way to learn them:

Ignore the notes. Dispense with the piano. Concentrate on just the rhythm by tapping out the beat with the foot; then tapping out the rhythm with hands separate; then tapping out the rhythm with hands together.

Have you ever done this? Do you know any instructor that does this? Is this the way to learn rhythm?

Thanks.
Newstead

I'm not a teacher, but here's what my teacher does: If i have a problem with a rhythm my teacher will count out loud while i attempt to play at a very slow tempo. Then we gradually increase the thempo. At home i also do that, though i use a metronome to aid in my counting. This way i can learn the rhythm and the notes at the same time.

Hi,
A good drum class or two really helps with these kinds of issues. I have recommended to several students in these forums that they take drum lessons.
I started out as a drummer first, and learned the piano after I had been drumming for a few years. I found that the experience I had doing drum exercises and rhythmic sight reading helped me more than anything with figuring out the timing when playing the piano.
Timing amongst pianists is notoriously bad, so much so that it is a standard joke amongst jazz musicians because most pianists have such horrid understanding of rhythm.
If I were your instructor, we would have this cleared up in a month or two. I do hope you are working with a teacher on your music, it makes a tremendous difference in how well you will do and how fast you can move along correctly. I have a specific series of exercises that I mold to each student's tendencies, not every person has the same problem with timing, some are ok until they have to do triplets against 4/4, others are fine until they start pedaling and then they crash and burn.
My specific advice to you is 1. get a piano teacher that can play the pieces you like, 2. get a drum teacher that can show you rhythmic sight reading and hand/foot independence skills (drum set) and give yourself a few months. You will be amazed at how your problems will be solved.

Dear Rob,

You say: "2. get a drum teacher that can show you rhythmic sight reading and hand/foot independence skills (drum set) and give yourself a few months. You will be amazed at how your problems will be solved."

Where do I find such a teacher?

I think what you are suggesting is something like what I am thinking about doing.

I do understand (At least I think I do) time signatures. Isn't that what drummers are looking at too?

Thanks for your suggestions.

I know that I will be a better sight reader if I can master the rhythm aspect better.

The notes are not holding me back...it's the timeing of the notes that confounds me much of the time.

Best to you.
Newstead

Yes!

I use derekrs' method plus one of my teachers had me walk and clap the rhythm to the walking. The feet act like a metronome, and your hands act as the individual notes you're trying to play against the beats.

Another thing that helps is subdividing the measures. Take each quarter note, for example, and count two beats to it. This way, for example a 4/4 piece will actually have eight beats to each measure. This by the way really helps with those dotted-eigth+sixteenth groups.

I got no rhythm.. try as I might. My teacher has me stomping/marching and clapping to the two different beats. My kids have a good laugh... I work hard at it but still got no rhythm

It takes time... LOL

Say your beats out loud if you're not doing that already as that will help too. Part of the rhythm thing is to listen to it. You can hear the pulse and then you'll begin to sense and feel it. Look for the little accents on the first and third beats for example, The can serve as landing and starting points. This is particularly helpful when you have lots of 16th notes and triplets.

Hope this helps,

John