Imagine singing with a group and everyone noticing that you are way out of timing. Yes, that would be a little embarrassing. But the good thing is that while some people seem to have a natural talent in terms of rhythm and timing, it is not impossible to improve yourself. Just like any other, these are skills that you can master with deliberate practice. You can start with the following simple exercises and then, slowly work your way to more advanced ones. You will be surprised at how much you will improve.
Play an Instrument
There is merit to using one’s body parts to make sounds and keep a beat. However, will you be able to get used to hearing them from other sources? A good way for you to practice your listening skills for such is to start playing musical instruments. For example, you can take drum lessons in Sandy, Utah so that you can get used to how percussions sound in certain beats.
Learn from Others
You may know of someone who has an extremely good sense of rhythm and timing. In that case, try to observe them and learn from them. Try to get a feel of what they do and how they do it. Do they move their bodies in a certain way? Do they constantly expose themselves to measured rhythms? If they are able to teach something to you, you can listen to their advice and follow it yourself.
Get into the Habit of Counting
Everything that we do and listen to has certain beats to it. It is up to you to recognize them. Making the habit of counting lets you keep yourself aware of these rhythms. You can start with a simple song with a beat that you can easily recognize and then, move on to more complicated ones. Of course, you do not have to do it aloud. The simple acts of moving a part of your body or counting in your head can already help a lot.
Record and Listen
Surely, you have some way of telling whether someone else is off or not, rhythm-wise, even if you have difficulty recognizing it in yourself. In that case, recording how you keep a beat is a perfect way of tracking your progress. When you listen to a recording, you get to distance yourself from the sounds that you make and treat yourself as if you were someone else. You will be able to know when you make mistakes and then, come up with ways to correct them.
Your sense of rhythm and timing isn’t just so you could avoid making a fool of yourself musically. Improving these skills can also help you learn better and get along with others more as well. You might not know it, but everyone has that sense, and we use it to match with other people and what they do. Just keep on practicing, and you will see that your relationship with your surroundings will become stronger as a result.
