Rhythm Strategies [PSH]

Note: this is a free lesson from my Supercharge Your Piano Practice course.

Ahhh this one is my favorite practice strategy of all time. I remember I was practicing this super tough 2 handed scale run in a piece. I was doing it over and over and over. And I just couldn't get it.

Then one of my piano friends walks in my practice room and tells me about this strategy.

5 minutes later I was playing it perfectly…

It really is one of the most powerful strategies I've come across, and I use it all the time. Promise me you'll give it a shot. As you're going through the video, try it on a C Major Scale.

(Note: This lesson is taken straight out of the “Supercharge” course, so it might reference other materials in that course.)

How To Use Rhythm Practice Strategies

(note: this video course started out as a book, so that's why I refer to “the book” sometimes)

Using Rhythms: Step by Step

Step 1: Play the section SLOW 4 times

Step 2: Long, Short Long, Short… 4 times

Step 3: Short Long, Short Long… 4 times

Step 4: Long, Short Short Short Long, Short Short Short… 4 times

Step 5: Short Short Short Long, Short Short Short Long… 4 times

Step 6: Play SLOW 4 more times

Key Points
  • Use Rhythms when the passage you’re playing a section has a Straight Rhythm, meaning all the notes are the same length
  • Play through each rhythm 2 to 4 times, and end by playing the passage 2 to 4 times as written
  • When you have passages that are naturally grouped in 3s, use the Rhythms of Three
More Practice Strategies Like This…

If you liked the stuff in this lesson, there are more practice strategies just like this in my ebook “Supercharge Your Piano Practice.”

Each strategy is tailored to learning a specific aspect of the piece faster (for example, large leaps, arpeggios, memorization, ext.)

You can get the full Supercharge  ebook/course here.

Happy Practicing,

-Zach

“Using the practicing strategies presented in this book, I was able to learn 2 movements of a Beethoven Sonata (14 pages) in 10 days! Normally, this would've taken me 3-4 weeks or more!”

Vanessa N. – Supercharge Member