Do your students have trouble keeping a steady beat? Do they need some extra help playing rhythms? In this article, discover creative rhythm activities to add to your studio this December.
I have one piano student in my studio who does an excellent job of remembering information. She can tell you everything there is to know about different notes, time signatures, and the theory of rhythm. But her parents and I had a conversation one day where we both noticed that even though she knew the information, she absolutely could not feel a steady beat or play the rhythms on the page correctly.
During this conversation, we discussed many different ways that this student could do rhythm activities at home. And I am excited to share those ideas here with you today so you can start doing one or two of these tasks in your studio today.
Drum Along Youtube Videos
One idea that really snuck up on me was having my students play along to kids’ drum along videos on Youtube. Sometimes the rhythm patterns are too fast or tricky, but for the most part they are completely accessible to kids. I have students from preschool age through elementary school doing a video at the end of each piano lesson and doing them on their own throughout the week. This not only helps students improve their rhythm skills but it also revives their love and enjoyment for music! My students really love DannyGo drum along videos – and I think they’re pretty fun, too. There is a very fun candy cane themed video to do this winter.
Sing Along with Your Music
When students are struggling with rhythm patterns in their assigned music, ask them to sing along with the music! This works especially well with a known song. Right now, my students are working on Christmas music. When students struggle with the rhythm in Jingle Bells, I tell them to sing along. Because students know how the song should sound, singing while they play really helps them to play correctly.
SproutBeat Theory Activities
As a teacher with primarily online piano students, I often use SproutBeat to teach and reinforce theory concepts and skills. This website uses games to practice the concepts with a variety of topics. I particularly love it for the ear training exercises. They have great rhythm activites where students listen to a rhythm pattern being played and then match it to the written rhythm. Use this as a lesson activity or assign it for work throughout the week.
Poison Rhythm Activity
Even though I use all of the above ideas in my studio, my current favorite rhythm practice is Poison Rhythm. In this game, students are given a poison rhythm. Students go through a series of rhythm patterns and the poison rhythm will pop up throughout the game. Students can’t play/clap the poison rhythm when it shows up or they’re out! I have found my students are able to successfully complete levels with much harder rhythms than they have played in music previously.
My students of all ages really get into a game of Poison Rhythm, especially during our monthly group lessons. I have four levels of Poison Rhythm – Christmas Edition – available in my shop now. You can also grab a bundle at a discounted price and start playing Poison Rhythm in your studio every day in December!
Since I’ve been much more intentional about implementing rhythm activities during lesson time, that student I mentioned at the beginning has really excelled. Now, she is able to feel and play the rhythm patterns in front of her, not just talk about the theory surrounding the notes.
While you’re in my shop buying your Poison Rhythm Bundle, make sure you also download my Holiday Gift Guide. It’s a great – free – guide to share with your studio families giving them lots of ideas for the piano player in their home.
