Today I managed to teach someone to play the rhythm for dotted crotchets and quavers with one-hundred-percent accuracy and understanding in less that three minutes! How wonderful is that!
I started with clapping a basic rhythm, counting one-and-two-and-one-and-two-and as we went along:
Then we clapped theĀ dotted crotchet version, but instead of counting in the usual way; “one and two and one and two and”, I substituted the word “glue” for “two”, because “you have to keep your hands glued together for the dot”:
It was such a simple change to the words, but it worked like magic. I shall wait to see what happens in her next piano lesson to see if this is going to be a permanent and long-lasting solution to teachingĀ a tricky rhythm.
2 Responses to Issue 85: The Perils of The Dotted Crotchet