When playing the piano or a wind instrument, there are SO many things to think about: which fingering do I use? Which key do I strike or press? What is the pitch of the note? And with all of those things to think about, rhythm can sometimes become an afterthought for the student. But rhythm is one of the ways that we convey musical meaning, making our performances lively and expressive. If rhythm is put on the back burner, performances will likely be lackluster.
Enter: rhythm cups! Rhythm cups are a fun and engaging way for students to develop rhythmic competency away from their instruments and all of the distractions they can bring.
These are tons of fun and, with the students I've introduced them to so far, they are often begging to do them in their lessons! Because they are so fun and engaging, I've added them to the Imperfect Music Studio challenge board. 🏆
For the challenge, there will be three different levels (corresponding to the levels in the Compose Create Rhythm Cup curriculum). For any student interested in participating in the challenge, I would encourage everyone to subscribe (or purchase) the streaming tracks for use at home! 🏠 These tracks ensure the student maintains the beat while practicing at home, helping to develop better rhythm. Here are the links:
My First Rhythm Cup Explorations Streaming Tracks
Rhythm Cup Explorations 1 Streaming Tracks
Rhythm Cup Explorations 2 Streaming Tracks
The fun actions in the curriculum (like freezing, passing the cups between people, sliding, tap your forehead, and more!) make the rhythm cups a fun way to practice rhythm. These are a great way for students to make music at home with their siblings or teach their parents about rhythm too!
Here's a short clip from Wendy Stevens of Compose Create, the author of the curriculum, showing the rhythm cups in action:
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