ABSTRACT
Rhythm is often considered “right or wrong” in musical performances. Therefore, the various components under the heading of “rhythm” (e.g. meter, tempo, reading/counting, fluency) demand careful teaching if a band’s performance is to sound rhythmically “correct.” This chapter supports three main tenets: that an internal sense of pulse is crucial; that movement is vital to meter and rhythm; and that sound (including language) contributes to rhythmic fluency. Following the sound-to-symbol (or “sound-before-sign”) approach, this chapter offers more than one-hundred and fifty unique tips, activities, and models adaptable to help musicians improve rhythmic reading and performance in the context of the concert band setting. There are major sections on the following: innate pulse, subdivisions, kinesthetic games, using the metronome (including “human metronomes”); tempo; precision; counting/reading; meter signatures; and fluency. Readers will find practical references to Newell’s “Teaching Rhythm,” Lisk’s “Ruler of Time,” and many counting methods including Orff, Kodály, Takadimi, French “time names,” Edwin Gordon, the Eastman system, and traditional American number counting system. The chapter’s special feature is the broad collection of rhythm-teaching and problem-solving pedagogical strategies. Ultimately, as with tuning, our goal is to help all students reach independence with their rhythmic reading, understanding, and performance.
