Musicians: How Did You Learn to Keep Time?

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moira43

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[longtime lurker delurking]

A musician friend of mine was telling me that there is a sign system to teach hearing people the differences in musical pitch/tone. Is there something similar to teach deaf musicians learn different rhythm patterns? I tried to learn how to play drums back in 6th grade but never got the hang of keeping time (which, uh, was a bit embarrassing during our school concerts).:Oops: Did you learn by feeling different beats? Reading the music and then counting out the time? Did you have a music teacher who worked one-on-one with you to get the rhythm?

I'm thinking about giving the drums another whirl now that I'm older but I'm wondering what the best way to learn them would be...any advice would be greatly appreciated!
 
Thanks for the rec! I'll definitely check it out. I've heard of Glennie. I'm HoH and I guess you're right in the sense that maybe I'm confusing wanting to follow the drumbeat "correctly" with what would be considered "correct" in the hearing world.

But I was watching the insipirational Bison fight song evolution video and the teams that used the drummer--the drummer always seemed to keep such an even beat. That's the point of drumming, right? To give other dancers/performers/musicians a sense of time to follow. --I'm always too fast or too slow for other people it seems.

Grrrr..I don't know what I 'm trying to say here...maybe i should realize that I'm never going to be a "conventional" drummer:lol: and should just enjoy myself and follow my own beat.
 
moira43 said:
Thanks for the rec! I'll definitely check it out. I've heard of Glennie. I'm HoH and I guess you're right in the sense that maybe I'm confusing wanting to follow the drumbeat "correctly" with what would be considered "correct" in the hearing world.

But I was watching the insipirational Bison fight song evolution video and the teams that used the drummer--the drummer always seemed to keep such an even beat. That's the point of drumming, right? To give other dancers/performers/musicians a sense of time to follow. --I'm always too fast or too slow for other people it seems.

Grrrr..I don't know what I 'm trying to say here...maybe i should realize that I'm never going to be a "conventional" drummer:lol: and should just enjoy myself and follow my own beat.
Click to expand...

What are those thingamajiggies called again? it's like an upside down pendulum that musicians use to keep time?
 
DeafCaroline said:
What are those thingamajiggies called again? it's like an upside down pendulum that musicians use to keep time?
Click to expand...

Metronome?

And I learned to play the bass when I was in school. Following the baton of a condutor taught the beat.
 
thank you, metronome! that is what my special ed/speech therapist/music teacher used for my speech sessions in school. although my speech therapy at home was very very intensive, my sessions at school revolved around learning to play a musical instrument so I would learn about rhythms, fluctuations and tones. After a while, it's not hard to follow the beat at all especially since it usually remains consistent through the song.

What I always really liked on the cd players were those ...oh man, another thingamajiggie that I dont know the name of - what are those green bars that light up on music players to show the bass, etc?
 
Metronome! D'uh! :slaps head: That's an excellent idea! Thanks!

And now that I think about it...I bet there's a Wii game that would help with learning rhythms with visual clues. Probably expensive but the metronome is a good place to start at least learning how to space beats evenly...
 
I saw a deaf actress named Marley Matlin play the drums on tv. She was great! Beethoven's 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th symphonies were all written while he was completely deaf! I've seen deaf people play piano! My daughter's friend called today and said that a deaf boy entering the 9th grade next yr wants to join the school marching band & she wanted my opinion about it. I told her absolutely! Let him! He will do great! I've seen blind kid in a marching band! Deaf people love to enjoy music too.
 
moira43 said:
[longtime lurker delurking]

A musician friend of mine was telling me that there is a sign system to teach hearing people the differences in musical pitch/tone. Is there something similar to teach deaf musicians learn different rhythm patterns? I tried to learn how to play drums back in 6th grade but never got the hang of keeping time (which, uh, was a bit embarrassing during our school concerts).:Oops: Did you learn by feeling different beats? Reading the music and then counting out the time? Did you have a music teacher who worked one-on-one with you to get the rhythm?

I'm thinking about giving the drums another whirl now that I'm older but I'm wondering what the best way to learn them would be...any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

That is why you have your music teacher as your conductor so that everyone in the band can follow time to help with the proper rhythm or beat.

Mine has been foot tapping to help keep with time when I first started while as a boy. Nowadays my whole body keeps time internally as I follow and listen to the rhythm of the music.
 
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

I'm an (primarily) an orchestral player (flute & picc) and have always just used a metronome with visual indicators.

The most important part is actually understanding how to read music ... Understanding beat, rhythm, meter etc - ie what 4/4 , 3/4 , 6/8, etc mean, how they look conducted, and then how various notes fit into that (whole, half, 8th, 16th, triplets etc).

All of that can be learned easily without having any hearing at all as it's actually visual and tactile.

Also there are specific techniques books that teach rythym patterns - starting with steady: whole notes, half quarters etc and then progressing into various. Patterns that mix different note lengths together within a single measure.

Start with the most basic and the move up in patterns only once youre able to be precise on the pattern you're working on.
 
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My metronome that I had growing up not only had the swinging arm, it also had a flashing light. Wish I still had it now.
 
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

For what its worth - the digital metronomes are much more accurate than the mechanical type (which need to be properly balanced and on a perfectly level surface to be accurate).

A good digital metronome can be purchased for about $30
 
Anij said:
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

For what its worth - the digital metronomes are much more accurate than the mechanical type (which need to be properly balanced and on a perfectly level surface to be accurate).

A good digital metronome can be purchased for about $30
Click to expand...

Will have to check into that. Do they have a light to blink as well?
 
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

KristinaB said:
Anij said:
Wirelessly posted (Blackberry Bold )

For what its worth - the digital metronomes are much more accurate than the mechanical type (which need to be properly balanced and on a perfectly level surface to be accurate).

A good digital metronome can be purchased for about $30
Click to expand...

Will have to check into that. Do they have a light to blink as well?
Click to expand...

Yes - just go to a good music store and you can try out a number of different models and find something that works for you.

Some of the more expensive ones have an "out" for plugging in an strobe/light (typically these are $100 and used for school bands etc)
 
I still have issues with time...
it's a work in progress but has been at times difficult to get my instruments all together in sync because I play each part separate as the other part is playing, recording the new track and alot of the times I have to re-do a recording because I lost time.

Makes for a very frustrating recording session but when I get it right...
it's worth it.
 
Hi all, I'm new to the forum and this topic, but it's definitely something I'm interested...I'm a musician and technologist, and want to work on technology that enhances music learning for the hearing impaired.

My first question is, do you think a vibrating wearable would help in keeping the beat? Especially if it had lights to help visual count?

Cheers
 
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