I have already written several blog posts on rhythm games, so today I decided to focus on how to help students learn rhythm in music.
There is little debate that music students struggle with rhythm and counting.
I was one of them.
I still get hung up on syncopation–mainly because I’m stuck between wanting to count it out and wanting to just feel it, so I do neither well.
Let’s dig into how to help students learn rhythm in music.
If you have some great ideas, comment and share so we can learn from your expertise too!
And if you need some specific game ideas to help students learn rhythm in music, then check out our other rhythm blog posts:
- 3 Quick and Easy Music Rhythm Games with Rhythm Flashcards
- 10 Rhythm Flashcard Games Students Love
- 7 Fun Music Rhythm Gameplay Ideas
- Slapping Fun Music Rhythm Game Rabbit Rhythms
- Rhythm Music Theory Game Counting Caterpillars
Note: we use affiliate links, which means if you purchase from our link, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
1. Start at the beginning to learn rhythm in Music
What do you think is the topmost important thing for students to understand about rhythm?
To me, it’s knowing how many beats each note gets.
If my student doesn’t know it’s a half note but they know it gets two beats, I’m satisfied.
I definitely encourage them to learn the names of each rhythm note, but “half note” won’t help them play the note correctly. “Two beats” will.
So, I help students understand how to count the rhythms first and foremost.
I teach this a lot by rote and counting with my student.
2. Remember to help students learn rhythm by ear
I was an ear-player before I knew it.
The fact that I reached John Thompson Grade 4 without really counting anything should have clued me into that, but like most teens, I had no clue what I was doing.
I picked up rhythm by ear … however, I was never encouraged to feel the music (I don’t fault my teacher for this; she wasn’t an ear player herself).
Instead, it was just my default to hold notes out as long as I thought sounded good (which, as you can imagine, was sometimes accurate, but very often not quite accurate).
If I were teaching me, I would have leaned into rhythm ear training.
There are so many ways to do this!
Duets, of course, help students learn rhythm as they play with another student or teacher.
You can also use backing tracks to fill this need.
Encourage students to dance to music.
Listen to music and help students feel the beat.
Teach them songs by rote.
Group more than one student together to play the same piece. They can work together to get the rhythm and also hear what others are doing differently than them.
Different ear training works for different students.
3. Use the metronome – early!
There is a lot of debate around the metronome.
Personally, I love the metronome (here’s my favorite digital metronome).
I did an experiment with some of my students once, and I found that most of the students I introduced early on to the metronome did well with it while those I waited until their second year of piano really struggled.
When you introduce the metronome in the first month, you can make it a game!
They can sway to the beat, play just one note to the beat, and many other things to help them embody an even beat.
Then, when you apply the metronome to music they’re reading, it makes it way easier.
4. Help students learn rhythm in music with various instruments
I’m a piano teacher, and often I get hung up on teaching piano only.
However, sometimes it’s easier to embrace rhythm with different instruments.
What does “Mary Had a Little Lamb” rhythm sound like on a glockenspiel, bells, hand drum, cup rhythm, voice, or shaker?
If you’re teaching group lessons or have two students of similar levels that can overlap, it would be fun to have different students on different instruments for the same piece!
5. Involve the student in their rhythm learning
Some of my favorite rhythm flashcard ideas are to have the students build their own measure (check out our game, Counting Caterpillars, which is dedicated specifically to this!).
If the student is building a measure, they’re working through the mathematics of rhythm, which helps them remember it better than if we just tell them ten times.
6. Have students count out loud to learn rhythm in music
Most of my students hate counting out loud, but I stick to it because I believe it is that beneficial.
When my student counts out loud, I can catch any rhythm errors they may be making (it might sound like they’re holding that note for one and a half beats, but they could be counting it as two beats).
Plus, I think counting out loud helps with the skill of playing and singing together.
7. Remember that perfection isn’t key when helping students learn rhythm in music
It can be easy to get hung up on making sure the student plays everything extremely rhythm-perfect.
But sometimes, there are learning pieces.
These are pieces that I just want to see the student grasping the general idea, even if they can’t play it perfectly three times in a row.
Even though it’s important for students to learn rhythm, they will learn better in an environment where they’re having fun.
8. Help Students Learn Rhythm in Music with Music Games
We believe rhythm theory games are highly effective in teaching students rhythm.
You can browse our entire collection here, but today I’d like to highlight just one rhythm music theory game.
Take your students on a mountain vacation with Rocky Rhythms.
This idyllic campsite has everything a nature lover wants: tent camping, canoeing, mountain goat sightings, hiking, and, of course, your mischievous bears and raccoons.
While students will want to retreat here, they’ll be learning their note values in no time!
Rocky Rhythms takes a twist on the card game “Spoons” and is a speed note rhythm game.
You can play it with 2-8 players and keep track of points (which are tricky–there are some negative points on the board!)
Watch how to play it in our tutorial video.
Here’s what you’ll get with the Rocky Rhythms printable download:
- Rocky Rhythms game in 2 sizes: US letter & A4
- Rocky Rhythms game board
- 40 note rhythm cards (4 each of whole note, dotted half note, half note, dotted quarter note, quarter note,
double eighth notes, single eighth note, whole rest, half rest, quarter rest) - 7 campsite game pieces
- Rocky Rhythms success poster
- Print release
- How to Play tutorial video
You will get the digital file to print and laminate (optional) for your music studio in both letter size (US) and A4 size (international).
Music Game Club Members will also get:
- Rocky Rhythms activity sheets in 2 sizes: US Letter & A4
- A3 & Poster-sized game boards
- Bonus: Rhythm Chart
- Tutorial videos with bonus gameplay ideas
Membership is only open twice a year. Check out our membership page here for more details.
Learn more about Music Game Club membership here
Digital Music Rhythm Flashcards
If your students always forget to review printed music rhythm flashcards, then it’s time to try digital games!
We have four Rocky Rhythms Boom™ Cards digital games that will help your students with their note names.
- Deck 1: Rhythm Ear Training EASY
- Deck 2: Transcribe Rhythm EASY
- Deck 3: Rhythm Ear Training MODERATE
- Deck 4: Transcribe Rhythm MODERATE
- Get all four decks here and save!
To get a better look inside, watch our Rocky Rhythms Boom™ Cards walkthrough.
How do You Help Students Learn Rhythm in Music?
Comment and share YOUR best tips, games, or even just fun memories about helping students learn rhythm in music!
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