Rythm training / Dalcroze
Has anyone had any experience with Jacques Dalcroze Eurythmics ?
In Theater School I had classes based on his methods and it improved my rythm.
I still got problems with rythm. I practice with metronome, and It's not bad, but when playing with Jam Track or friends im really losing it. I think the problem is in my mind because about 10 yrs ago some teacher said to me: " You have no sense of rythm you got no feeling" and it really stayed uncounciously in my mind for a long time..
Any tips and tricks for "feeling" and rythm practice ?
I know that PRACTICE is answer for everything but INTELLIGENT and DELIBRATE Practice is better answer. Looking forward for your tips and keep on Harping!
I’m probably the last person to give advice on rhythm. I found that one of my problems with rhythm, is I use too much of my conscious mind and not enough of my subconscious. At some point you just have to stop thinking about it and start feeling it. With the conscious mind I am counting the beats, with the subconscious mind I feel them. When using the conscious mind, a person can normally on do one thing at a time. When using the subconscious mind, a person can let the subconscious go on autopilot doing several things at once.
Try just listening to a song that has an easy-to-follow beat and maybe even uses a music form you are familiar with such as 12 bar blues. It doesn’t have to be a study song; it could be your favorite song. Just listen to it over and over until your mind starts to automatically hear the cord changes and your foot just instinctively taps the beat without you consciously thinking about it. From this your mind will start to figure out what you are asking of it to do.
My guess is your sense of rhythm is just fine. The problem likely is trying to do too many things at once that you have not really learned. For example, when I’m starting a new song, I first learn the blow draw and hole patter, not worrying too much about the rhythm, and I do this one lick at a time. Once I start to play the songs licks without really thinking about them, I start to bring in the rhythm. In some places in the song, I have to back off the rhythm and learn how to breath while playing. Once that is figured out then I work on the rhythm again.
That is my nickel advice, I hope it helps.
Forever a student,
Brian in Tennessee
Thank you
brshoemaker
Thanks for you advice, its really about this change from concious(thinking) to unconcious (feeling) and the body based practice from Dalcroze helps it.
and
UkuleleRob65
Haha! I didn't listen to them so the beat goes on :D
Thanks again,
Adam from Poland
Re "The Beat Goes On," Adam and Brian, how about the great Sonny & Cher hit by that name (Atco Records, 1967), as an excellent study in rhythm?
And in terms of deeply emotional lyrics, what composer could top the significant philosophical analysis of the human condition expressed as "La-Dee-Da-Dee-Dee, La-Dee-Da-Dee-Da"? Tho' "Drums keep pounding ... A rhythm to the brain ..." pretty much sums it up.
Looks really interesting. See, e.g., https://dalcrozeusa.org/about-dalcroze/what-is-dalcroze/ It all starts with the body. (And whoever once told you that you didn't have a sense of rhythm was essentially trying to claim that you don't have a body. I certainly hope you didn't listen to them.)
Some years ago on a total whim I took some classes in West African drumming and dancing. It's not something that I'm still doing, but it gave me a much deeper appreciation of rhythm in the blues.
The beat goes on ...