Once you have established a solid and reliable pulse, it is now time to add the rhythm on top of it.

This is often the hardest part for students especially as the rhythm for piano is usually tied in with the pitch so using the right finger on the right key at the right time can sometimes prove challenging.

This is exacerbated by the fact that our fingers are not created equally – that is we have fingers that are naturally shorter and weaker than others (fourth and fifth fingers)

A good way to get around this is to clap the rhythm of the piece first. You may wish to try this exercise:

• Take a look at your piece of music and write in the timing
  Remember: If you are in common time, crotchets are worth 1 count, minims are 2, dotted minims are 3 and semibreves are 4 counts. Quavers will be worth half a count each and will be written as 1+ (the “1” goes under the first quaver and the “+” goes under the second quaver)

• Now try to clap and say the rhythm slowly

• When you are confident, put yourself to the test by using a metronome set at maybe 60MM and see if you can still hear your rhythm clearly

• Now try it at the piano! You should notice that your rhythm is automatically cleaner and more recognizable