Are you aware that your sense of timing sucks, but you hate metronomes with a passion? Developing rhythm does take time and practice, so the more often you can work on it, the better you will do.
While music is definitely pleasing to the ears, a huge part, and I would say 75% of music has to do with timing and rhythm.
Timing is what gives music it’s groove. It’s what gets our head bobbing and feet tapping. If you ever looked at sheet music, everything is organized because of timing. The BPM (beats per minute), the “time” signature, bars and measures, note values, clearly timing is an essential aspect of music.
And clearly, you know that, that’s why you’re here reading this article, right?
So, if you’re looking for ways to improve your sense of rhythm outside of playing your instrument, here’s 7 fun ideas for you to try!
1. Tap/Clap Along With Songs
If you’re a musician, you’re probably (or hopefully) listening to a lot of music. It’s easy to get carried away with the vocals, funky riffs and so on, but it’s time to start paying attention to the beat.
Listen and figure out where the 1 beat is. Then figure out how many beats is there (3? 4? 5?). Then learn to maintain that beat with your hands or feat throughout. Don’t let the upbeats, breaks, or solos trip you up. Work at keeping that beat consistent throughout.
Most songs will keep a consistent beat and time, but there are songs that may throw in a half bar or speed up and slow down. By doing this exercise, you’ll become more aware of this naturally. And later, when you play your instrument, it’ll be a lot easier to play along, even if the track isn’t there, because you are more aware of the timing.
2. Learn Basic Drumming
If any instrument will force you to work on your timing faster, it’s drumming. You don’t need to get a kit or any sticks, as a couple pens and a textbook is good enough. You could even just practice slapping on your legs and tapping your feet to imitate a kid. Even though I played instruments forever, my time in drumline certainly improved my internal clock.
Start with 1 hand each doing quarter notes, then alternate between hands. Then do eighth notes, and sixteenth notes. Challenge yourself with triplets or odd time signatures. Even learn syncopation. Of course, you need to do this with a metronome, which may be hard and annoying at first, but you will learn to love it when you can align yourself with it.
3. Try Phone Rhythm Games
There’s a lot of free rhythm games you can download on your phone. Of course, you do need to be aware of what makes a good or bad rhythm game.
There are many music tapping games, but be aware on if you are tapping to the actual beat of the song, or if you are following the melody and riffs of the song. The second won’t help much with rhythm, and is harder (in my opinion) if you aren’t familiar with the song, as the vocals are less predictable than a solid beat. Some music games that I would recommend are: Arcaea, BeatX and Rayark.
Ontop of games, there are also some good rhythm training games/apps. One that I used a few times was Complete Rhythm Trainer. It will show you a line of musical notes, and you must be able to read them and tap in time. It will let you know if you’re off, and you only have a few lives before it stops you. It’s a great way to practice and improve.
4. Console & Arcade Rhythm Games
I will tell you now, a lot of the best rhythm focused games originated in Japan. Rhythm Heaven and Dance Dance Revolution are probably some of the bigger ones, but there’s also Taiko (a drumming game), Tap Tap, Drummania, Keyboard etc etc. If you have a local arcade or can get these games online, you’ll definitely benefit. They’re so much fun!
If you’re curious about other Japanese rhythm games, check out this article where I rank my favourites!
5. Play Dancing Games
Rhythm games are one thing, dancing is another. Dancing requires full body coordination, thus you learn to really feel the beat and become one with the song. As for dancing games, even if you could nail the moves, you will lose points if it’s not on time. If you’re new to dancing, I’d recommend buying the older Just Dance games as the moves get harder with each game, and it’s less repetitive and predictable.
If you have rhythm and good hand-eye coordination, or are just a good gamer, getting 4 or 5 stars shouldn’t take more than a couple tries. If you seem to be struggling, that’s even more reason to keep practicing. Dancing does take time and practice, but once you learn to feel the flow, it will come more naturally to you. Once you can feel a song or beat through your body, keeping a beat will not take as much mental energy.
6. Practice Rapping/Spoken Word
If you’re someone who’s into rap or hip hop, or just appreciate the art of speaking fast, this is a great way to practice rhythm as well. You’ll often hear people refer to the ‘flow’ of these artists. It’s not just the ability to say 100 words a minute, but rather, it’s how and when they say these words that make it so unique. Being able to say these words on a beat, or emphasize certain words, and also making use of pauses, is truly an art form.
7. Join A Band/Music Group
If you’re up for it, why not practice playing with others? I’ve noticed a few people across various boards say that they can’t play with others, or how they’re fine alone but seem to mess up and such around others, so they’re intimidated to try again. However, I know this is partly due to lack of rhythm. Your timing doesn’t matter alone, but you are forced to align and straighten up when you play with others.
Music is meant to be a collaborative effort. Sure, guitar and piano can sound good alone, but there’s strenght in numbers, and it’s a lot of fun once you get used to it. Even if you don’t care to perform or make the next best selling album, there are a lot of opportunity to just jam with others. If you can’t find one, make one! Just post an ad, tell them you’re new but hoping to gain experience. I’m sure you’ll find someone!
Bonus: If You’re A Guitarist, Learn Rhythm Guitar
The majority of electric guitar players tend to be obsessed with lead guitar. They’re so obsessed with riffs and solos that they’ve never spend much time working on chords and strumming patterns.
The thing about lead playing is that it is flexible. As long as you’re playing the right notes over the chord, no one really notices or cares how many notes you play or when you play them. And similar to how some people see vocals, they get so caught up with the melody that they aren’t really paying much attention to the beat. They may seem great when it comes to showing off, but once they are asked to be a team member and play rhythm with the rest of the group, their flaws and lack of musicianship becomes more apparent.
If this sounds like you, it’s not too late to turn things around. Learning rhythm guitar will only make you a better lead guitar play, one who is aware of the chord progressions and timing, and can utilize that to make better sounding lead parts. Looking for a good practice book? Check out my Rhythm & Chord Progressions eBook which contains 15 strumming patterns & progressions, 5 keys each, for a combination of 75 progressions!
ConClusion
Very few people are born with a great internal clock, so anyone who can play a solid drum beat or play in time with a group had to learn and improve. I don’t know where I would be without years of music classes, along with being obsessed with music games like StepMania, DDR, Just Dance, Rhythm Heaven, and Para Para Paradise. So, if you lack rhythm, there is hope!
Definitely try a few of the suggestions above. If it is hard at first, keep at it. Practice makes improvement. Soon, you’ll be flying through levels and new exercises, trust me! And if you have any other tips or things that worked for you, be sure to share it in the comments below 🙂