It is very well said “Each musician aspires to have the perfect sense of Rhythm and timing” Well this is absolutely true. Rhythm and Timing mark the difference between a performer and a professional.  It is believed that your sense of Rhythm and Timing has been born with you. Well , it might be true but if you are facing problems with Rhythm and Timing then this  statement is surely going to stop you from moving ahead . To improve your timing is not a difficult task but it is surely not a miracle that will happen in one day.  

If you want to know the different ways to improve your Rhythm and Timing , then this blog will surely help you 

First let’s understand Rhythm and Timing

Rhythm

It is a combination of different beats and sounds clubbed together which are repeated on regular intervals making a pattern. For example ,  if we combine different actions like 

 CLAP CLAP CLAP SNAP 

STAMP STAMP  CLAP SNAP  

 And then start again from CLAP and keep on repeating then the combination of different actions is called a rhythm

Timing

It is the ability to play different notes and patterns at the correct time as written down in the piece.

 So now , as we have understood Rhythm  and Timing , the challenge is to get the perfect rhythm and timing.  There are different to improve your Rhythm and Timing, let’s see them in depth 

1)  Practice with the METRONOME

The most essential thing to IMPROVE you rhythm and timing is practicing with the metronome.

Metronome is a small device that is designed to keep a beat at a certain timing indefinitely. They are used to help musicians play songs with the proper time signature and the right pace. 

Earlier, everyone used to use an analog or an electric metronome but today finding a 

Metronome is not a difficult task. One can easily use the metronome app available on play store and app store.  

1)Performing Music Helps In Increasing Patience 

After getting a metronome, the task is to practice with the metronome,  

 To get a piece at a particular tempo , you should start counting at half the tempo. For eg ,If I  have to play a piece at 120 BPM , then I’ll start counting from 60 BPM.  Counting slowly makes you familiar with the placement of notes of the song in the Rhythm. It helps in understanding  when to play  “and” , “e” , “tri-pa-let” and “a”. This eventually helps in improving Timing. 

Initially , let’s count at 60 BPM , all the different types of Rhythmic Patterns. We’ll start counting and clapping  normally on each beat then include “and”, “tri-pe-let” and “e-and-a” respectively. 

3) Gradually increasing Tempo

After counting slowly at half tempo , gradually increase the tempo until you reach the actual tempo. For eg, If I  have to play a piece at 120 BPM , then I”ll start counting from 60 BPM. Once you get comfortable at half tempo then slowly increase the tempo by 10, count again and repeat this pattern until you reach the final Tempo.

Counting slowly and gradually increasing tempo are very important. Sometimes you might also doze off after your practice , but always remember these practices only count.

4) Recording Your Piece

After playing at different  tempo’s it is essential to play the piece with perfect timing even without the metronome. 

You should record your playing and probably  tap your foot for the timing.  After recording, play the original song or the metronome in synchronization with your recording. If both the things go together then you are all set  to go but if  then focus more on clapping of the piece. You might be going wrong only in some bars whose rhythmic patterns might be difficult, in that case instead of working on the whole piece work on that part specifically .    

Recording a piece helps you to understand where you are going wrong and on which parts you need to improve, it increases the sense of rhythmic patterns of a particular piece and marks the mistakes in your rhythm, notes and timing

The importance of Rhyhtm and Timing can not be underestimated. At Purvi Ranka’s Academy , we lay special focus on how to improve Rhythm and Timing in different, simple and fun ways. We conduct different group sessions and games which helps in making this topic interesting for students