My early teen cousin is learning to play keyboard/piano. She likes to compose her own songs, and she’s good at that, but perhaps could use some help with the basis rhythm.

I thought that a book of rhythms might help. Something like this, but it’s going to be the wrong era for her on the surface, although the rhythms repeat through the ages. Encyclopedia of Piano Rhythm Patterns: Popular Piano Rhythms and How to Play Them https://amzn.eu/d/2JdTsST

Please point me in the right direction. Thank-you in advance

  •  sapo   ( @sapo@beehaw.org ) 
    5•3 months ago

    Carl Humpfries’s Piano Handbook and Piano Improvisation Handbook are great, and cover enough for even an absolute beginner. I like noodling around with no previous musical knowledge, and they work very well for that. I think both include pretty decent sections on rhythms, and discuss pretty varied styles.

  •  GuyFi   ( @GuyFi@lemmy.sdf.org ) 
    3•3 months ago

    I play bass in a few bands, rhythm is tough but learnable. Easiest way to get good timing fast is:

    1. Listen to the music you want to play first. If you only have the sheet music, Musescore is a fantastic software to hear sheet music.
    2. Keeping the rhythm that your heard in mind, play what you want to play. Once you get it, it will feel right. If not, play the music VERY slowly, slow enough that you can do it quite easily. Set a metronome to this slow speed, then increase the BPM by 5. Find your limit, back off the BPM slightly, then practice at that speed until you can nail it.
    3. I cannot stress this enough, record your playing! Knowing how you sound is so so so helpful, it lets you hear what your playing without the distraction of actually playing. Super helpful to see exactly how and where your out of time.