I posted a simple rhythm practice activity for piano students…a video of my student drumming along to a backing track, and it took off.

Perhaps it’s because it shows a way to teach rhythm–one of the hardest elements of music-making to explain and comprehend.

Why is rhythm reading hard for piano students?

Because there are TOO many variables.

The second line in the treble clef is always G, but there are thousands of possible rhythm patterns to play on just that one pitch.

Have you heard this saying before?

Playing the right note at the wrong time is still a wrong note.

Common Problems for Rookie Rhythm Readers

Solid rhythmic skills are the foundation for creativity and confidence as a musician, and yet, have you experienced these types of students before?

A seasoned adult pianist who can sight-read quite well yet still feels insecure about reading and feeling rhythms.
A beginner who cuts short whole notes and ignores rests.
An adult beginner who was frustrated with learning her favorite Christmas carols because her past teacher was making her count aloud.
A transfer student who can play “Arabesque” by Burgmuller but can’t identify a quarter note.
SO many who practice pieces written in ¾ time and play them in 4/4 time.
[We live in a 4/4 world, so who can blame them?]

The Problem with Traditional Rhythm Teaching (and Why Rhythm Practice Fails Piano Students)

As teachers, we may tend to teach the mind before the body, or not the body at all, as Sir Ken Robinson so eloquently says…

“Truthfully, what happens is, as children grow up, we start to educate them progressively from the waist up. And then we focus on their heads. And slightly to one side.”

— Sir Ken Robinson

We may ask students to:

Count aloud, but they have no idea what they are counting because beats are invisible.
Complete worksheets that may reinforce concepts but offer no musical context
Multitask…
- Play each pitch correctly
- at the right time
- while counting aloud
- keeping a steady beat
- Stick with a metronome

Asking them to check off everything on this list at once results in a start/stop/start process. Rather than saving time, it costs time; it’s less efficient, leads to more mistakes, saps energy, and students give up.

Rhythm Needs a Groove

Rhythm only makes sense when it lives inside music.

I repeat.

Rhythm only makes sense when it lives inside music.

What you see in the video is a favorite creative rhythm activity for piano students because it connects sound, movement, and reading.

Using a backing track provides instant engagement and isolates rhythmic experiences from the piano. When students march and drum along with a steady beat, the tracks let them experience rhythm in their bodies first, then in their minds. This sets the foundation for what comes next– reading rhythm patterns.

Teach Rhythm in Stages

Consider following these seven stages of learning recommended by top educators.

Engage: Grab students' attention and spark curiosity so they want to learn more with a cool drum of their choice and a hip backing track, and get them moving and drumming to a steady beat.

Explore: Encourage students to come up with their own movements to rhythm and their own rhythms before you explain them.

Explain: Reinforce what has already been discovered and show and play before telling and reading.

Apply: Assess students' understanding by having them demonstrate the concept on the piano, complete app drills, games, or exercises. Ask them to explain the rhythmic concept in their own words.

Share: Invite students to play, perform, record on camera, or discuss what they’ve learned.

Reflect: Guide students to think further and ask What if you…? or How can you change….?

Extend: Encourage students to take what they’ve learned and create something new.

How to Use Backing Tracks for Rhythm Reading

The video I shared shows the first four stages of rhythm practice with a backing track.

This rhythm reading activity is one of the most effective exercises for beginners and intermediate piano students.

Here is the rhythm reading activity broken down in steps for you.

[FYI: I am doing all these rhythm reading activities right along with the student to model each step.]

① Before students get out their books, ask them to choose a drum or percussion instrument. [The drum in the video is from a set that I bought years back at the London Music Expo, and Remo does not make them anymore. Here are some that are similar.]

② Start a backing track.

③ Match the steady beat with the body by marching in place.

④ Drum along with the same steady beat–so the beat is in the feet and the hands.

⑤ While marching to the steady beat, ask the drummer to drum whole notes, then half notes, then quarter notes, then 8th notes.

⑥ If need be, hold up flash cards for each note value so the drummer can recall what each one looks like.

⑦ Then direct the drummer's eyes to the screen showing a rhythm pattern in the music rhythm app called Rhythm Randomizer.

[Before you begin this activity, customize the rhythm settings to the note and rest values you prefer.]

Take It Further: Rhythm Improvisation for Piano Students

This is where rhythm practice for piano students shifts from repetition to creativity.

Set the drums aside and invite students to improvise patterns above a favorite backing track.

[All backing tracks are in the key of C.]

If students are hesitant, create a pattern yourself and ask them to copy it.

After a few “copycats,” reverse it and ask students to create a pattern for you to copy.

Choose a pattern from Rhythm Randomizer to provide a rhythm in which to improvise a melody.

Grab Your Free Rhythm Backing Tracks

These student-tested and approved backing tracks can be used for rhythm reading, rhythm drills, and rhythm improvisation in piano lessons or group classes.

Make rhythm practice fun, build confident rhythm readers, and give your students a reason to stick around.

How to Make Rhythm Practice Fun for Piano Students (Free Backing Tracks)