Playing by ear - am I lagging behind?

[ranniks]

Hi,

I'm not sure if my teacher is teaching me to play by ear, but he gave me a sheet of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean and I have to play it with the rhytm of a music file he plays on his computer. It basically is just a drumbeat loop.

BUT I NEVER SEEM TO GET IT!

Maybe it's because I've only practised it for 3 hours the past 10 days (practised the piece I mean!), but still. During lessons I mess up and lose track of the beat. It's like I only have ear for the piano and everything else is muted. But yesterday something good happened, I could hear the beat while playing with my left hand, but lost it when 2 handed or just the right hand chords. The chords make it difficult for me to hear the beat....

My teacher is always impressed with me about my other regions, just this region is horrible.

I already told you guys this, but a friend of mine commented on my headbanging to a song and told me it doesn't go that way, that I'm going too fast. Now I can actually hear the beat and slowly headbang to it, but it's going so slow! I'm not even sure if I can get it by the next lesson.

I'm thrilled I'm making progress with the finger exercises and Bach pieces, but this area frustrates me so much. It's making me feel like I lack the musical ability, the right to play an instrument. Anyone can hit keys, but actually hearing the sound is what makes a musician.

How do I fix this? I was thinking of saying 'screw the Bach pieces for today and tomorrow, let's do this MJ piece and a few finger exercises'.

So what does this exercise do? Ear training or what?

Advice would be very welcome.

[outin]

Maybe you have a bit more difficulties with rhythm than other aspects of playing. Most of us have some areas that give us extra trouble, for me it's not rhythm, but so many other things (memory, reading, stiffness, difficulties to concentrate). 2 months or so is just the beginning, you will have a long time to improve your rhythmic sense. Just do what your teacher advices, whether you understand or get it, he probably has an idea that it will help you eventually. If you got everything already, you would not need a teacher at all

Things can't always go smoothly you know and sometimes it really feels like lagging behind. Today seemed a totally useless lesson for me, I had been sitting in meetings all day, was tired and hungry and could not concentrate at all. So instead of me playing much we discussed my present state of low motivation...Seems to me I am overwhelmed, too many pieces and too little time. I'll try one more week and if it doesn't get any better I will suggest working on just one single piece per week at least for some time.

[adam2]

I agree with outin on your lagging in rhythm.. Although this doesn't have to be a persistent problem...

Rhythm was not always my strong suit, but I got ahead of the curb and practiced common or likely rhythms more often, and they become internalized in a second nature sort of way.  I also practice novel rhythm combinations in every context possible(in a song I am learning or already know, or just straight rote and drills.). Because of this, when I say to people that I am weak in one area currently(a certain scale pattern or a certain song or rhythm style) they look at me like it's opposite day... That's when I know that the practice there has paid off, ya know?.

I don't know what the teacher is trying to do but ill tell you what I'd do until I figured it out...

Listen to the whole song or as much as needed to understand the phrasing in proportion to the downbeat, syncopes, and the like.( I'm sure u have but endulge me).  Then, take the beat loop alone and mark all the downbeats mentally, even on papered your problem is real bad.  Then,  with this knowledge in the back of your mind, just literally play the loop back to yourself over and over again... Tap, nod, embellish, cite phrasing potential and create significance in the loop alone like it is a true standalone top 40 song, loop only. All the while, find the exact moment you foul up most commonly. This is square one rock bottom approach.  After a while you will be able todo this on the spot instantly with all times and phrasing patterns you have Practiced, which will add up the more often you do this

Rinse repeat, recombine and reapproach in this way until you can on the spot recreate the rhythm with organic precision

[ranniks]

Thanks both of you!

You both are right. I meant, everyone has a weak spot. It's just, this is a very weird weak spot it seems to me. Don't most people who have interest for music already posses rhythm?

On the plusside, I went over the exercises again today, for half an hour and I could finally hear the upper beats....I used a headphone at first and had it decently hard and then with speakers, but I could only hear the higher beats with the headphone. I can't make the higher beats out because the piano is making sounds as well, muting the drum loop in my eyes.

Thanks once again, you both have been of great help to my confidence as a player. When I'm a super duper pianist with magic skills and have become a miljonair somehow and money is no problem for me, I will be donating a Steinway of choice to either of your doorsteps and perchane the most expensive Henry miller at David's doorstep. Or just a building with a bunch of old pianos he can work on and a brand new steinway somewhere in the middle above a circular isle.

Ahh back to reading my book and falling a sleep. (The Chosen is a great book btw, Chaim Potok  is the author.)

[outin]

It's just, this is a very weird weak spot it seems to me. Don't most people who have interest for music already posses rhythm?

Maybe not? I have a couple of friends who started playing as adults and it seemed to take them some time to learn to play with constant rhythm. I guess hearing and following rhythm is a skill like anything else and if never practiced it will get rusty.

When I'm a super duper pianist with magic skills and have become a miljonair somehow and money is no problem for me, I will be donating a Steinway of choice to either of your doorsteps

Thanks 

[hfmadopter]

Thanks both of you!

Thanks once again, you both have been of great help to my confidence as a player. When I'm a super duper pianist with magic skills and have become a miljonair somehow and money is no problem for me, I will be donating a Steinway of choice to either of your doorsteps and perchane the most expensive Henry miller at David's doorstep. Or just a building with a bunch of old pianos he can work on and a brand new steinway somewhere in the middle above a circular isle.

When the day comes that you can afford to be giving grand scale gifts, find a young person who deserves such a reward, Ranniks, and pass on a skill or nice suggestion as well. Not that I don't appreaciate your fine offer mind you, just I'm fine with my old Henry !

Your teacher is working on rythym.