
Chris Caton-Greasley LLCM(TD) MA (Mus)(Open)
Ethnographic Musicologist, Teacher, Researcher
Chris at the Piano

This short exercise is the start of developing an internal beat. Being able to play to a steady beat enables you to play with other musicians and, more importantly, enjoy playing because it sounds good.
Skills Analysis
The primary skill is listening to the external tick and being able to play along with it. Secondary skills include note recognition, fluency in reading and awareness of the space to line patter of steps.
Practice Strategy
Start by reading the notes away from your instrument. Read the letter names of each note and notice the pattern of space note to line note to space note. This helps you read the music by pattern. Set the metronome to a comfortable tick. Sixty is the second hand and seventy two is the heartbeat at rest, these are good starting points. Clap the notes, they are all minims so you should clap on tick one and three. Once you can do this try with each hand, bar by bar and build it up, keeping with the tick. When you can do this with each hand, put the hands together; all the time maintaining the steady beat. When you can achieve the whole piece, speed the metronome up by 4 or 5 beats per bar.
Demonstration Video
This demonstration video is an example of how the piece sounds after the recommended period of practice. This is a minimum of four consecutive days focused practice of five to ten minutes a day.
The podcast is a short talk radio style audio on practise, how to work through the piece, resources available and how different sections of the piece can be practised. This is available on Spotify via the direct link on the pink button, '1. Link to the Podcast.'
If you required a copy of the music is available to purchase or download using our 100% discount code via link on the yellow button '2. Link to Music Download'
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