How to keep the beat steady

[pianobaby]

Help, anyone out there knows how I can keep playing steadily? I have been practising with the metronome, but at my piano lessons I just can't help speeding up or slowing down at times.  I am working with a teacher who likes to yell at me when I can't control the rhythm.
So, I need to find out ASAP how to keep the beat going.

[nerd]

That's the same problem I have

These have helped me:

- Listen to the beat. It's hard to describe... just wait a bit before you start the next measure; poco sostenuto at every bar . You should hear the beginning of the measure in your head before actually playing it. You think you're starting the measure too late but you aren't. This keeps you from going too fast.

- Move your wrists up and down at constant tempo. Don't stop the movement and keep it smooth. Eventually the movement disappears but you'll keep thinking about it somehow... Helps keeping the tempo constant and also adds a clearer and more natural pulse to your playing. At least this is what happened to me

[Saturn]

Help, anyone out there knows how I can keep playing steadily? I have been practising with the metronome, but at my piano lessons I just can't help speeding up or slowing down at times.  I am working with a teacher who likes to yell at me when I can't control the rhythm.
So, I need to find out ASAP how to keep the beat going.

I used to have the same problem.  I never could control my rhythms, so my teacher would yell out, "KEEP YOUR BEAT STEADY!"  At the end of the lesson, the teacher would say I need to learn how to keep from speeding up or slowing down all the time, but no one could tell me how to do this!  Shame on such teachers.

Ultimately, good rhythm should be a physical, ingrained process.  It should be as involuntary as breathing.  You shouldn't always have to actively think "1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &", If your rhythm is always controlled by thought, then it will always be inaccurate.  The moment your thought falters, so will your rhythm.

What you want to avoid is using the metronome like a crutch.  Don't just turn it on and go to work and then turn it off at the end of your practice session.  Then you become dependent on it.

It's helpful to learn rhythm by practicing with the metronome on easier pieces or exercises.  If you try to play difficult pieces with the metronome, you may be making your brain do too much work.

I also find it helpful to use the metronome away from the piano.  Pull out some sheet music, turn the metronome on, and conduct the piece, hearing the music in your head.  This is good because it frees you completely from the physical motions of playing and lets you concentrate on the music alone.  If you can get a good sense of rhythm away from the piano, applying it to the piano shouldn't be too difficult.

See this thread also:
https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=teac;action=display;num=1084093073

- Saturn

[monk]

In this case, NO METRONOME! You have to establish the beat for yourself.

First, you should clap the beat with your hands and SING the piece (just the important melodies) to that.

Are you able to sing the correct rhythm and maintain a steady clapping beat? And are you able to PERCEIVE whether you are correct WHILE doing that?

1) Answer is NO -> Practice that so that your rhythmic NOTION of the piece is really in your head! And don't stop to practice that before you really have it down!

2) Answer is YES -> Then it has to do with your body and how you play the piano. Cramped movements, bad breathing, unuseful movements, badly learned piece, fear and so on. You have to work on relaxation, breathing, posture and usefulness of movements so that you can realize on the instrument what is in your head.

Best Wishes,
Monk

Note: The clapping beat should be calm; in faster pieces you have to clap the half notes or even the whole notes. Otherwise you get cramped.

[pianoannie]

In this case, NO METRONOME! You have to establish the beat for yourself.

You don't think the metronome can be helpful for this in some ways?  To me, saying never use the metronome to help establish an inner sense of steady pulse, is like telling someone to learn the sounds of the intervals by themselves without ever playing the keys to check themselves.
Since the original poster said sometimes he speeds up and sometimes he slows down, it's clear he's not able to establish that inner beat for himself yet.  Using a met can at least help him discover which places he tends to drag and which places he's getting ahead in a particular piece.  I don't suggest using met lots and lots with a current piece, but it can help diagnose which areas are prone to get off tempo.
I agree with the other person who suggested using met with easier pieces, exercises, and even away from the piano.  My students are told to use the met for at least one warmup exercise or scale per day.  Just a little daily dose of being reminded how the steady beat feels, plus it helps them keep track of progress they are making with the tempo (in terms of velocity).

[ted]

Pianobaby:

What sort of music do you play ? Some types of music are far more dependent on a regular beat than others. Try learning some boogie, stride or ragtime. A regular beat is so intrinsic to these styles that you can scarcely avoid feeling it.