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How to Develop a Sense of Rhythm

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Apparently, it’s quite obvious when I play with the KAOSSILATOR that I don’t have a sense of rhythm. Mbonzo is a long-time percussionist, and sent me these tips to help me out. Let’s see if they work.

  • Start practicing to songs that you listen to all of the time. Rock or hip hop songs are easiest in this exercise. Simply listen for an even cymbal hit or an even bass drum beat within the two genres. This will give you a good sense of where the rhthym is. Just tap your foot (doesn’t matter which one) to that beat. Make sure that your foot is tapping consistently and you are not tapping any heart beat like rhythms. As you tap your foot, try to start counting 1, 2, 3, 4. Most rock and hip hop songs are in what is called 4-4 time. If you are having problems finding the 1, 2, 3, 4 then try to find a song that has a more obvious rhythm.
  • Once you’ve found the four beats try to add your hands. Try playing the four notes twice as fast or twice as slow. In musical terms this covers the whole scheme of quarter notes, half notes, and eighth notes.
  • Rub your tummy and pat your head. Something that you may have tried to impress people with in grammar school is now significant! Just try to rub your stomach and pat your head at the same time. This will allow you to become detached from having the same rhythmic feel in both arms. Soon you maybe able to do all sorts of rhythms that once seemed awkward, such as doing the four even beats with your left hand and at the same time playing beats twice as fast with your right hand.
  • Dance to it. If you are comfortable dancing you may be able to pin point the beat easier. If you can find the beat with the other steps, then keep track of it and get off your butt all ready. Dance to the music!

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21 Comments

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LOL!
they dont know rhythm
but you’re the cool guy with the celeb status :P
so thats ok :P
im a percussionist too and that thing is awesome!!! :O!

can you please tell me how to spell rhythm?

Need more Sexexercise than PCercise and expend some time with you wife, man. Technology is sucking lives up including mines…huh ^o^.

That is a cool toy you got.

Somebody needs to make a device that helps you learn how to whooot and hollar. I always hate it when at a sporting event people start carrying on and I sound like some kind of chicken squawking.

I am terrible at EVERYTHING related to music, thats why it’s my only lesson with a F

14 year olds and crack heads…

the four beats he’s talking about isn’t a band, it’s the four beats in 4/4 time. 4/4 is the numbers on a sheet of music that tell you how to read the music. The top number is how many beats in a measure, the bottom number tells you which note gets 1 beat. Measures are a segment of time within a sheet of music much like an inch, and usually measure about an inch.

Anyway, that’s about all I can fit in a comment and still have it easy to understand for the non-musician.

Hey Chris i just called you. In the chatroom my name is GameBoy. But I saw your video on youtube.com about your music device that makes the cool sounds. I wish I had the money to buy it, but its 200.00.

Im trying to save up for a MAc. But hey keep doing what your doing man. Peace

this is how you spell rhythm: rhythm.

Personally Chris… I don’t think you can truly develop a sense of rhythm unless you were born with it. To me, only people who had the talent to keep rhythm when they were five truly have it when they are any age older than that.

I also go with Brady you have to have some kind of rhythm when you where born or you are a musician

Man, if I didn’t have a boyfriend, I’d so be knocking on your door. Geeks are so freakin hot. I’m jealous of your setup. Very very jealous! :D

I’m a Tech Geek and a Saxophonist, so it’s impossible to be both

Just play with a metronome in crotchets and increase the speed gradually, that’s what all instrumental virtuosos do, otherwise they wouldn’t be as good.

Note: it develops timing not rhythm, the definition of rhythm goes far beyond just times.

What Do You Think?