Do you ever struggle with rhythm?
Maybe it’s a piece with a lot of syncopation that is tripping you up, or maybe you’re struggling with an unusual time signature like 5/4 or 12/16.
Or perhaps you just don’t feel confident in your ability to play rhythms correctly. No matter how hard you try, you just feel offbeat.
Here are some suggestions to help you improve your sense of rhythm quickly.
1. Do Some Active Listening
Our brains can often process rhythms more easily than our fingers can. It’s helpful to walk away from your instrument for a few minutes and spend some time just listening to music.
Try to clap or tap along to the beat. Can you tell how many beats are in each measure? Does it feel like it’s in 4/4 time, or maybe 3/4?
Can you hear the subdivisions of the beat, where the eighth notes or sixteenth notes fall?
Next, try listening to a recording of a piece you’ve been struggling with while following along with the music. Can you hear the rhythmic patterns more clearly now?
2. Use a Metronome
Playing along with a metronome might bring back a lot of memories of your earliest music lessons, but it’s still a helpful tool.
Start off slowly and then gradually increase the speed until you’re playing the piece at the tempo you want it to be.
Having the metronome clicking away in the background as you play is like having a rhythm cop supervising your practice session.
Tedious, maybe, but all for a good cause.
3. Add Some Markings
If you’re working on a really complicated rhythm, it might help you to be able to see where the beats fall in each measure.
Try drawing vertical lines through the music on each beat so you can see how they line up.
You might discover that you’ve been counting incorrectly and playing those eighth-note triplets too quickly…or not quickly enough!
Sometimes a little visual aid is all you need to get your rhythm back on track.
4. Try Some Drills
It’s easier to learn rhythms if you don’t have to worry about playing the right notes at the same time.
Make some flashcards for your problem rhythms, or just write them on a dry erase board. Clap, tap, or count them out loud; use a metronome if it helps.
Once you have that down, try singing them or playing them on your instrument using only one note.
Finally, add the correct notes to the rhythm and practice it until it starts to feel more natural.
5. Play with Someone Else
Playing with someone else is a great way to gain more confidence in your sense of rhythm.
Whether you’re in a duet, ensemble, or accompanying someone, it’s really easy to tell when you’re not counting the same as everyone else!
Making it a habit to play with other people whenever possible will help your sense of timing immensely.
What steps have you taken to improve your sense of rhythm? Do you have another tried and true method? Leave a comment below!