34

have the player think “play – don’t play – play.” I find this method to be very risky, with the

incorporation of too many extra thoughts (having to think of the term “don’t play,” for example.)

Furthermore, he encourages thinking of four types of rhythms and then labeling all of the beats

with one of four letters: 1) D for downbeat; 2) U for upbeat; 3) N for neither; and 4) B for both

(two eighths on a downbeat, for example.) Again, this seems like superfluous work.

The focus on searching for the beats visually within the time signature is a usable

recommendation. The author wants learners to be aware of the typical look of beats in a variety

of time signatures. As an example of this thought process, in simple meter with a quarter note

pulse, the beats will be divided into groupings of two eighths, four sixteenths, or will be

multiples of the pulse like half notes and whole notes. In compound meter with an eighth as the

division, beats will typically be three eighth notes, a quarter plus an eighth, an eighth plus a

quarter, or a dotted quarter, with the most common multiple being a dotted half note for two

beats. Being aware of those visual cues is practical advice that I’ve given my own students over

the years, and it seems to help them find the beats. I mention these concepts in my method,

especially when discussing the most common groupings of notes in 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8. I like

Phillips’ presentation of division of the beat in relatively close proximity; compound meter

(“division of the beat into three parts”) arrives fairly quickly, on page 18, with simple division

just prior, on page 14.27

Some piano method publishers have separate books dedicated to rhythm. John Schaum

has a set of three rhythm workbooks intended for younger students (pre-college). It has the

typical presentation of 4/4, 3/4, and 2/4 time signatures with quarter notes defined as being worth

27
Ibid., 12-20.