Rhythm: First Steps
As described in the Strings Magazine article by Judy Weigert Bossuat.
Presented by:
The Student Chapter of the
American String Teachers
Association at Sacramento State
University
Rhythm as Concept
Grade-school children can assign numeric values to
symbols.
1
These symbols can include music notation.
1
Understanding the concept of rhythm does not
guarantee that a child will know what to do physically
with his or her instrument
Rhythm as Action
Rhythm in Action
Goals:
Introduce and cultivate a steady sense of
rhythmic pulse.
Introduce rhythmic values for written
notes and rests.
Do all of the above with many children as
quickly as possible with maximum
success rates.
Step 1: Make rhythm a physical action
Children march in time
Add left hand
Strong beats are clearly marked!
View Children March in Time movie
Step 2: Right hand reads rhythm
Notes are played
by the right hand
tapping the right leg.
Rests are played by
tapping the chest.
The right hand stays on the right leg for
the duration of the note or on the chest
for the duration of the rest.
This helps students learn that they
must count through rests as well as the
notes.
These are the first steps to introducing
beat subdivision as a physical
practice, not just a concept.
Step 3: Start with large note values and
progress gradually to smaller values
Step 4: Use exercises that mix up the
note values that the student has learned
Whole notes + Half notes
Half notes + Quarter notes
Example: Simple Rhythm with
quarter notes and rests
View the
Quarter Notes and Rests movie.
This is Chinalys first day doing these
exercises.
As the students progress to smaller and smaller
note denominations, rhythms get more and
more complicated
Concert Rhythm
Performed December 17, 2007
Try it!
Concert Rhythm
By: Mr. Stanley and Austin
View the Concert Rhythm movie
performed by Mr. Stanley and Austin.
At this point, you can easily introduce
time signatures!
Students have an externalized sense of
beat which will lead soon to an
internalized pulse.
Students can recognize note values in
terms of beats.
Students are ready to organize beats
into measures.
Step 5: Apply rhythm exercise to actual
music!
Introduction to actual music reading.
Clarify that the lines and spaces do not change the
rhythmic value of a note.
Now the student is ready to learn to read pitches
Rhythm: First Steps
REVIEW
Directs students to concepts including
beat subdivision, rest value and note
value equality, ensemble counting as
well as playing and rhythmic body
awareness.
Acts as an easy and effective transition
to reading printed music.
Significantly reduces rushing in students
of any ability.
Rhythm: First Steps
REVIEW
Aids reading comprehension by
breaking music-reading down into two
parts; rhythm and pitch.
Should be used by any level student
experiencing rhythmic reading problems
or an advanced player who isnt
rhythmically consistent.
Especially for beginners and young
children, it provides a break from
holding their instrument.
Playing a string instrument is
physical, and we want our kids to
feel the rhythm in their gut!
(Judy Weigert Bossuat)
Brentt Rhythm
Piece from: Rhythmic Training by: Robert Starer
View the Brentt Rhythm Movie
Rhythm: First Steps
Presented by:
California State University, Sacramento
String Project Student Teachers,
members of the Student Chapter of the
American String Teachers Association
at the American String Teachers
Association Conference in Albuquerque
New Mexico, March 2008.
