how to hone your sense of rhythm

How to Hone Your Sense of Rhythm

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Rhythm is important because it’s the gas in your musical engine.

• Rhythm is what makes your head nod and your body move.

• As a musician it’s crucial for you to have a firm understanding of the basics of rhythm.



The benefits of learning to hear rhythm apply to all musicians,

regardless of instrument or genre.

• When paying with others, you will have a better idea of how to “play in the pocket” and keep time.

• If you are a music producer, you will be better able to know where to put notes in the sequencer or other DAW.

• If you are a singer, you will know when to come in!



You can improve your sense of rhythm by paying attention to certain things in music.

• Most popular music uses a limited variety of time signatures so learning them will help you cover a lot of ground.

• If you are aware that the most common time signatures are 4/4 and 6/8 this will help you hear the equal divisions.

• Try learning to identify recurring rhythmic patterns such as sixteenth notes, triplets and dotted eighth notes within the measure.

• The upright bass player and the drummer are usually the ones keeping time so be sure to listen to them.



There are ways to actively practice your rhythmic skills when listening to music.

• The best way to start honing your rhythm is with a metronome.

• Try tapping out the rhythmic values while you are listening or sing them or play them out loud on your instrument.

• If you’re playing an instrument, try playing scales starting with quarter notes, then follow with eighth notes, triplets, sixteenth notes and so on.

• While you listen, try internalizing the groove and the rhythmic patterns.

• Another great way to practice rhythm is to transcribe what you hear.



Try listening to music with advanced rhythmic forms.

• Math rock is is a popular genre in rock music that is all about musicians experimenting with odd time signatures.

• The Indian genres of Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian) music are some of the most complex in the world.

• So complex are the rhythms of traditional Indian music that they even created their own independent language called Konnakol to study rhythm.

• Jazz and forms of jazz fusion play with polyrhythmic ideas and utilize unheard harmonies.



Learn to focus on rhythm and you will gain tremendous flexibility in

your musical expression.

• Regardless of genre, it always pays to try and learn a bit more about rhythm

• As an artist you want to be as much of a pro as possible, and professionals know their craft really well.



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