teaching cut time, alla breve

[Bob]

How do you do it?

[mschopinliszt]

I explain the concept, and if they're still in left field...i say 'ok, think of it as a FAST 4/4'.  That usually works.

[pianistimo]

instead of a half hour lesson - it's just fifteen minutes.   ahahhahahah

[whynot]

When I explain notation at the very beginning, I introduce the idea that all different kinds of notes can be a beat or pulse, and we can tell which one it is in a piece by... blah blah blah.  If a piece has very complicated rhythms, I have them work through the math in 4/4, since that sometimes clarifies things, but I tell them that once they understand the proportions, they must really feel it in two again because it lets the music speak better.

[abell88]

I play the piece in 4/4 and then in 2/2 so they can hear the difference, and I tell them to concentrate on accenting only the first beat of the bar.