Reprinted from the Rutgers Music Education Newsletter, Spring 1993 issue
Is Teaching Rhythm Important?
You Can Count On It!
by
Matthew J. Paterno
In my first few years an instrumental music teacher I have been fortunate to have several experiences that have shown me the importance of teaching rhythm. Music is a second language and students need to learn its vocabulary and structure.
I was approached one day be a very enthusiastic student who told me that her mother had just bought her a new book of flute solos. "Great!" I replied. She said, "Not really. I can't play them because I don't know how they go." Later that same year I asked a student why she hadn't practiced a part, and she said, "I don't know what it sounds like." These lessons, and many more like them, have shown me the two basic problems concerning students' understanding of rhythm.
First many students do not understand pulse, or how to feel the beat. They need to develop the ability to internalize the pulse so as to keep steady beats. Many people feel foot tapping is bad, but I have found that some kind of "intrinsic" or "kinesthetic" representation of the beat can aid this development. I have made up many different eurythmic exercises involving clapping, foot timing (in marching band), and tapping that have improved my students' sense of time.
Once a student can feel the beat, they need to learn how to combine and subdivide it. To do this, they need to learn a "rhythmic vocabulary." I have found simple rhythm charts (a single line of rhythm played on a concert F), extremely useful to this end. The band starts with easy quarter and half note charts that emphasize combining beats. Over the course of each year, we progress through harder charts that teach students to subdivide the beat, deal with triplets, and switch meter. A few lines of rhythm each day will reward you with more independent musicians and an ensemble with greater rhythmic accuracy.
Finally, I believe that students must be rhythmically independent if they are to enjoy playing and continue past our programs. A student who cannot "decipher" rhythmic notation will become frustrated and give up. We are always encouraging our students to play or practice more, but if they don't know how to "count" they don't know how to practice! Maybe Nintendo isn't the only reason students don't practice as much as we would like. Is teaching rhythm important? You and your students can count on it!
Matthew Paterno received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Mason Gross School of the Arts of Rutgers University in 1989. Currently, he is the Director of Instrumental Music at Wayne Hills High School in Wayne, New Jersey. He is an active euphonium player often performing in wind symphonies, concert bands, brass bands, and big bands.