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I have a student who is rhythm deaf. Help me


Owen
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I have run into this before, but this one has beaten me. I have tried standing up and dancing with him. I have tried grabbing his foot and making it work on the pulse. I have given him basic drum tracks. Nothing is working, He is completely Disco-lexic (Copyright Happy Jack).

Any ideas?

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Like the "Disco-lexic" but joking aside, Mrs G is dyslexic and dyspraxic to some degree and her daughter is even more so. Apparently, these conditions do make it hard for them to feel a beat. Mrs G was telling me she simply doesn't "feel" it. This is why when dancing she will "do the movements", but simply can not "feel" the beat at all.
Maybe this is why she plays the piano. She dreads anyone asking her to play to a metronome. She's played for over 30 years and still can't play to a beat. She's getting better through hearing me do it, but It's taking time.

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Have you asked him what is it about the bass that makes them want to play?

Is it the tone, groove etc?
Does he want to play in a band?
If he doesn't want to play in a band, then maybe playing melodic pieces will fill his desires? That's what I play. I'm happy.

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Have a look here..?

[url="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjy3MSu7uPWAhUHVRQKHTBMDW0QrAIIPigCMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abrsm.org%2Fforum%2Findex.php%3Fshowtopic%3D47224&usg=AOvVaw1Z4Iq1P1oURX8K3JAFRqcT"]Pupils with weak rhythm ...[/url]

Some decent advice, and a few tools and tips ...

Hope this helps.

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[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1507563628' post='3386369']
Have a look here..?

[url="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjy3MSu7uPWAhUHVRQKHTBMDW0QrAIIPigCMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abrsm.org%2Fforum%2Findex.php%3Fshowtopic%3D47224&usg=AOvVaw1Z4Iq1P1oURX8K3JAFRqcT"]Pupils with weak rhythm ...[/url]

Some decent advice, and a few tools and tips ...

Hope this helps.
[/quote]

Thanks, I will have a look.

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I had one of these once. I did everything you've tried and more. He was a really nice lad too; very bright, highly motivated and worked really hard at it - which made the decision to call time all the more difficult for him, his dad and me. I hated admitting defeat with any student, and in a 15-year teaching career he was one of only two students I had to do this with. I felt terrible about it but in the end there was really no other option - at least not one that I found.

Hope you find a solution. If you do, be sure to let us know how you did it.

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The cattle prod method ( punishment for unwanted behaviour ) is not as effective in the long run as the Reward Good Behaviour And Discourage Unwanted Behaviour by Ignoring It method .

Try the Reward With Fish method :-
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yS6qU_w3JQ[/media]

:secret: ;)

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[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1507577642' post='3386519']
Rhythm deaf? Like Adam Clayton?



*Now, now, before you go shooting off, I'm being sarcastic. It was in fact Mr Bono who said, 'Adam can't even clap in time,' and I just have a tendency to agree with him.
[/quote]
Perhaps he's just reluctant because Bono has told him that everytime he does it, a kid in Africa dies?

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For a few years rhythm was the weakest part of my playing, until a tutor showed me counting the subdivisions using “1e+a”. After a lot of work and repetition, my rhythmic pulse is now stronger than my harmonic knowledge. I don’t think anyone is not cut out for music, you just need the right tutor and to be inspired to play. Learning to read music is also a big part of learning rhythm.

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When do you say. Your not musical, sorry I can't teach you. ?. That must be so difficult as a teacher. My dad has had to turn (as harsh as it sounds) kids/parents away because some ears/minds just are not geared for music.

No matter how much money is given to you as a teacher, it must be a little disheartening for all parties.

Edited by bubinga5
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One thing I've found that has helped pupils who previously couldn't grasp anything other than playing a single note on every beat, was to have them count out loud the beats - 1234 - for every bar and then clap the rhythm. Start of with quavers on beat one, or three, or wherever - something relatively simple, and then start introducing other groupings of rhythms. A great book to help with this is 'Improve Your Sightreading - Double Bass grades 1-5 by Paul Harris. It has excellent exercises that help you see where the rhythms lie on top of the beats.

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