Rhythm is a challenging aspect of music for many musicians, especially pianists. It’s easy to forget about rhythm, particularly if you are accustomed to playing freely in tempo rubato. While a violinist can get away with being slightly off the beat because of the instrument’s slow attack, the attack is fast on the piano. The keys are connected to hammers that strike the strings immediately after pressing down a key. So it’s much more noticeable if you come in too early or a little late.
Everyone has a sense of rhythm. It’s human. When we breathe, our breath finds a natural rhythm. The same goes for walking or running; you tend to fall into a steady, even pace. So you already have the inherent ability to keep in time without even realising it! Whether you want to work on your solo pieces or are playing in a musical group, developing a strong sense of the pulse will help you play in time.
Metronomes aren’t fun; we can all agree on that! However, they can be incredibly beneficial when you practise your technical exercises or try to master a complex rhythmic phrase. But you don’t want to be playing with a metronome all the time. You will not perform a piece with that constant wearing tick-tock in your ear. So you have to feel the song’s beat as you play it by using your internal metronome.
So what can you do to improve your internal metronome?
Externalise it (Tap, hum, nod)
Instead of playing through your piece with a metronome, try tapping your foot. By externalising your internal metronome, your feet will be holding your hands accountable for the beat. If you find it challenging to coordinate, you could try nodding your head or counting out the beats of the bar as you play. Also, try vocalising the melody’s rhythm using a sound like ‘da’ or ‘ba’ while you tap your foot for an extra challenge. Once you can sing it, it will be much easier to play on the piano.
Half speed
Slow down your metronome, so it’s playing at half speed. Now the clicks will only occur on every second beat, so you have to play in time for longer before the metronome comes back in. You can create a click track in GarageBand and add automation points to mute the metronome every second bar to further your practice. You can watch a tutorial to learn how to do this here.
Record yourself playing!
By listening back to the recording, you will hear any unevenness that you might not have noticed while concentrating on playing. You could do this on your phone (most smartphones come with a free voice memo/recording app) or ask a friend to film you playing the piece.
Ergonomic technique
Uneven rhythms in your playing could stem from poor ergonomic technique. If you’re a beginner on your instrument, your fingers probably aren’t used to moving independently. Only by building up the strength of the muscles in your fingers will you be able to execute rhythms more confidently. Your hands will start responding like you want them to. Through repetition, it eventually becomes ‘muscle’ memory. A quick way to do this is by practising Schmitt or Hanon exercises which are great for developing finger independence and evenness. Practice these with a metronome and set yourself some metronome speed goals.
Play along with the original recording
If you have a specific song causing you stress, listen to the original recording by the musician who wrote it! You’ll be able to listen and learn the rhythm by ear. Look out for the subtleties of their performance – the slight pauses, the swing, the groove. Don’t just listen; play along as well!
Rhythmic Exercises
If you have trouble with some more complex rhythms, you might consider working rhythm into your regular practice routine. For example, instead of playing scales with even quavers, try playing triplets in your right hand while playing quavers with your left. You’ll be creating a polyrhythm. This might make that boring part of your practice a fun challenge! Watch a video example here.
Play in a different genre
As a final note, try playing in a style that’s out of your comfort zone. For example, if you only play classical or pop, give some blues or jazz a go. By learning songs with more complex rhythms in these styles, you’ll expand your rhythmic toolbox and have more experience to draw from.
It’s important to remember that while metronomes are extremely useful for being perfect, being precisely on the beat isn’t necessarily what we’re going for. You want to have a human element in your performance otherwise you could wind up sounding like a robot! Even out on the dance floor, it’s clear. If you overthink it your moves will come across as awkward and unconfident. Then you’ll see someone completely lost in the music moving without a care in the world; they don’t even have to think about it, they just feel the beat.
By using these tips you can put your internal metronome into practice and develop your sense of rhythm so you too will be able to feel the beat. But don’t forget – learning music is supposed to be fun! If you feel like sight reading rhythms is holding you back from learning a piece of music, learn the rhythm by ear! If you are playing purely for recreation you don’t even really have to play in time, as long as its recognisable to you and you’re having fun. Don’t let rhythm be a source of stress!