Medium beat in 4/4

[allie7]

I've been playing piano for 43 years and have taught for over 9 years. A couple of years ago I had a thought cross my brain where I needed to consciously play the 3rd beat in 4/4 time as a medium beat. I heeded the thought and to this day I doubt my own natural sense of rhythm and beats (strong, medium, weak). I sometimes think "strong", "weak", "medium" "weak" as a play but it has made my playing wooden, doubtful, and dumbed-down. I feel like a robot. I used to just naturally feel the beats like we all do and play them accordingly. I think it's more a subconscious thing.

Any thoughts? Any suggestions?

[keypeg]

We learn simplified rules which might work to get a beginner started on the right track, and maybe in simpler music - but music is more subtle than that.  I was warned when I first learned these rules in theory to not get stuck on them when playing.  This might (?) go with what you just experienced.

[ignomike]

I started on drum kit and this was one of my first lessons. I think dancers use this too. It sounds ok when you want a motoring or mechanical effect (classical era accompaniments come to mind) and I think it can be useful as a skeleton to form the basis of other layers of musicality. Good luck creating a cantabile melody though.

[lelle]

I personally enjoy developing musicianship by learning principles for how things work intellectually, such as where emphasis goes on the beat and so on, but it's important to not get caught up in it, so that it becomes a crutch that you rely on. Sometimes that can happen in an attempt to "do it right", doing everything correctly, based on a fear of ever doing it slightly wrong. Maybe that's what's holding you back? I'm being held back by something similar in my improvisation at the moment.