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MONTHLY PRACTICE TIPS PRACTICE GUIDE

Rhythm
Try practicing the rhythm away from the piano.

There are many different ways to understand and practice rhythm; some people prefer counting, some prefer words. I often recommend that my students do the same rhythmic patterns in a variety of ways. This will help you to 'feel' the patterns as well as 'understand' them. If you can do all of these steps -great! If not, try doing the steps that make sense to you.

1. Rhythmic Read each part
Rhythmic Reading involves conducting the beat with the right hand, tapping the eighth note sub-division with the left hand and 'speaking' the rhythmic pattern. This is not easy to do bu I guarantee that once you can do it, your piece will seem much easier to play.

2. Clap and Sway each part (use Ta's and/or count)
The 'swaying' is important - it will help you to 'feel' the beat. Each beat has one side. For example, in 4/4 time,
a half note will receive one clap because it is just one note but the body will move from one side to the next
so that the note receives two beats -one beat on each side. Four eighth notes would receive four claps but
the first two claps would occur on one side of the body and the last two would occur on the other side of the body: two claps for each beat because two eighth notes equal one quarter note beat. Some students enjoy stomping the rhythm with their feet!

3. Play just the rhythm of each hand separately
(pick any note and repeat it, don't change pitch; use Ta's and/or count)

4. Play each hand separately as written (use Ta's and/or count)

5. Tap both hands together (count)
The right hand will tap the rhythm of the right hand part, the left hand will tap the rhythm of the left hand part

6. Finally, play it hands together (count).

Previous Tips

rHYTHM  | SECTIONS  | FORM  | INDEX CARDS  | MOOD | GOALS | ESTABLISHING A ROUTINE  | MOTIVATION  |  TEMPO | GEneral