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SAX TEACHER UK

How to Help Your Child Improve Their Sense of Rhythm Part 1

By SaxTeacher UK 5 min read
SaxTeacher UK — author photo

Hey everybody! I'm so excited to release my first tutorial video! It's the first in a series of videos I'm planning on how to help improve students sense of time and pulse.

In my teaching I've found that one of the biggest barriers to progress is not being able to maintain a steady pulse when playing. Often times a student will have a great sense of pitch or excellent coordination, but will struggle to get going with playing music in time. I've heard people say that you can't teach rhythm - they say you've either got it or you don't! In my teaching I have not found this to be the case!

The key to resolving the issue is strengthening the feeling of the beat so it becomes more natural and almost automatic. That way the student can concentrate less on 'counting' and more on the business of playing - as creatively and expressively as possible!

I've always seen dancing and playing music as being one and the same thing, of course there are many great musicians who don't dance, and vice versa, but for me and in my teaching I have always found dancing the best way to practise time and rhythm!

This really simple exercise is a great introduction to moving with the music, and it's really fun for children! Just a few minutes practise every day will make a huge difference.

Sense of Pulse

Having a strong internal sense of pulse is the most important foundational skill when learning an instrument. People have varying levels of natural rhythmic ability which, along with coordination, directly affects the pace of a student's progress at an instrument.

Internalise

For students with a less-developed sense of rhythm, it is really important to develop and internalise the sense of pulse. This has to be done away from the instrument, as the more immediate mental demands of reading music and the physical demands of playing mean that it's impossible to concentrate on developing this foundational skill.

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Video tutorial: how to help your child improve their sense of rhythm using a simple 2/4 dance step Watch on YouTube

Feeling the Beat

What it means — and why it matters

Having a strong sense of pulse is otherwise known as feeling the beat. At its strongest it's literally a physical sensation inside the body while playing, listening to, or imagining music. This feeling is different for everybody — it evolves over time as we follow our own intuitive path to develop an individual sense of pulse.

For me, each beat of the bar has its own individual feeling which means I (almost!) always know instinctively which beat I'm playing. This completely removes the need for 'counting' while playing, a common mistake that adds an extra level of mental exertion when practising and hinders progress.

Developing a stronger sense of pulse is known as internalisation.

How to Practise and Internalise the Pulse

Using movement and dance to build a natural sense of time

I've always found that the best way to internalise a pulse or rhythm is using movements — that's right, DANCING! Dancers obviously have a great internal sense of rhythm to make such large and elegant movements perfectly in time, and I have always seen playing an instrument and dancing as one and the same thing.

Of course there are many examples of outstanding musicians with great time who aren't good dancers, but in my teaching and in my own personal practise I have always found it to be a very effective and fun way to improve the sense of rhythm. Children love these dancing exercises, and it's also a great way to break up practise time. It's also a fun and easy way to help your child practise if you don't play an instrument yourself!

2/4 is the first step I teach. It's the easiest step to dance because it's just a simple march, with one step for each beat. 2/4 isn't the most common time signature, but it's a great place to start practising moving in time as evenly and consistently as possible. It's also very useful later on in more complicated music and faster tempos.

With time and practise, your child will know instinctively which beat they are playing. For this reason it's really important to concentrate when practising and make sure the steps don't get out of sync with the beat, and that the correct beat is on the same step every time. Keep an eye on your child when practising and make sure their steps are correct.

Dance Steps for 2/4

Here is a description of the basic steps. It's really important when practising that your child leads with their dominant side, emphasising Beat 1, the first and most important beat of the bar.

▶  For right-handed children

1
Right leg

Step centre — straight up and down

2
Left leg

Step centre — straight up and down

▶  For left-handed children

1
Left leg

Step centre — straight up and down

2
Right leg

Step centre — straight up and down

Remember that when your child starts the dance, they should always begin with a straight-up and down step on their dominant leg.

How to Practise the Dance

Tips for making the most of each short session

This dance step should be practised for just 3–4 minutes a day. It's really important to dance WITH your child. Dance is a communal activity just like music, and it's a great preparatory exercise for playing music with others in an ensemble. It won't take more than a couple of weeks for your child to become really comfortable with the step if you practise it with them. It's a great way to break up practise sessions and have fun! Try to help your child keep the steps as even as possible to help practise a strong and consistent beat.

Don't try to dance to music at first — just keep the steps slow and make sure your child is doing them in the right order. You can also try getting your child to count the beats aloud as they step, to help reinforce which beat they are on. You can also help your child to practise clapping on each beat, making sure the clap happens at exactly the same time as the step.

When you're practising, always remember:

  • Learn the step yourself first
  • Teach it to your child
  • Keep the same beat on each step
  • Keep the steps even and consistent
  • Always dance together!
  • Have fun!

Once your child is confident with the 2/4 step, continue to Part 2: How to Help Your Child Play Music in Time, where we build on this foundation with a 4/4 dance — the most important time signature in music.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age should my child start these rhythm exercises?

These exercises are suitable for children of all ages, but they tend to work especially well for children aged 5 and up who are already learning an instrument. Younger children can still benefit from marching and moving in time — even without a formal instrument — as it builds foundational musical awareness early on.

How long before we see an improvement in my child's sense of rhythm?

With just 3–4 minutes of consistent daily practice, most children begin to show noticeable improvement within two weeks. The key is regularity — short, focused sessions every day are far more effective than longer, occasional ones.

Does my child need to be learning a specific instrument for this to work?

Not at all. These exercises are designed to develop an internal sense of pulse independently of any instrument. They are especially useful for saxophone, clarinet, flute, and piano students, but will benefit any young musician regardless of what they play.

What if my child finds it hard to keep the steps even?

This is very common, especially at the start! Slow the steps right down and make sure your child is doing them in the correct order before worrying about evenness. Dancing alongside your child really helps — children naturally mirror movement, and having a consistent partner makes a big difference. If needed, try clapping along to help mark each beat clearly.

Should we practise to music or in silence?

Start in silence — it's much easier to focus on the evenness and order of the steps without music to follow. Once your child is confident with the 2/4 step and can keep it steady on their own, you can begin introducing slow, clearly-metered music to practise with.

What comes after the 2/4 exercise?

Once your child is comfortable with 2/4, the next step is moving on to 4/4 — the most common time signature in music. Part 2 of this series covers exactly that, building on the 2/4 march into a slightly more complex 4/4 dance.

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SaxTeacher UK is a woodwind and piano teacher based in South East London. With 17 years of individual and group tuition experience. Get in touch for in-person or online lessons.

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