Teaching Rhythm Logically

Teaching Rhythm Logically is a method for teachers, not students. 

This Book Will…

• Provide a resource you can reference throughout the year or spot check as needed. I continue to refer back to my notes and quotes (yes, I write that stuff down) every year so that I approach my rhythm teaching the same way with every kid. A common understanding is necessary. 
• Outline a specific sequence to most logically present rhythm concepts. The order is important in creating students who can draw analytical conclusions as to the next rhythm in the progression.
• Model wording. Over the last 12 years, I have edited my original script as I discover new and better ways of presenting concepts that my students seem to absorb more easily. I don’t ever want my students to guess or just follow along, and the specific wording that I use to teach new rhythms directly affects their understanding.

For most of us, taking a day off at the beginning of the year to observe other directors is a terrible time – we’re busy with our own programs – but that is the only time that you get to see these fundamentals presented. So instead, I welcome you into our own band hall. You have a front row seat to exactly how we structure our rhythm lessons with scripts taken straight from real classes… minus the silliness that comes with beginners.

If you are not a middle school director, this book can still give you a window into methods we use to teach a skill every high school director is praying their students come with – rhythmic fluency! Whether you need to reteach or are simply curious as to how it was perhaps explained to your kids once upon a time, Teaching Rhythm Logically provides that insight.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and I hope you feel free to steal as much or as little as is helpful to your own pedagogy. Very little of what any of us do is original, but that doesn’t mean that it is not new to you. Successful band, orchestra, and choir programs are built on stealing what works and avoiding what doesn’t. Hopefully, I am providing you lots to steal.

Of all the things you might find in Teaching Rhythm Logically, I hope you find confidence. This book provides all the tools you need to teach rhythm in a clear and logical way that will do nothing but improve your beginner classes and music program as a whole.