Piano students must have knowledge and understanding of musical concepts in a way that they can apply to their playing. For example, students often have difficulty understanding the musical term syncopation. They can memorize the definition, but they don’t know what it sounds like or how to do it. Here’s an easy way to explain this to kids taking piano lessons.
Rock music follows a strict 4/4 tempo, or four beats in each measure. The first beat of the measure is emphasized. Similarly, cheerleaders follow a 4/4 beat to shout their cheers. Try this 4 steady beat count and keep repeating.
1 – 2. 3. 4, 1 – 2. 3. 4, 1 – 2. 3. 4, 1 – 2. 3. 4, 1 – 2. 3. 4, 1 – 2. 3. 4…
Clap on each beat emphasizing the first few beats. This is a steady rock beat or “Indian” beat that cheerleaders and marching band might use during halftime at a football game. It doesn’t really have a rhythm, just a single steady beat.
Now create a syncopated rhythm. Clap the beats, but hold on beat 4 and don’t clap on the next or the first. Instead, emphasize the second beats. Like this:
1 – two – 3 – 4… wait – two – 3 – 4…. wait – two – 3 – 4…wait two – 3 – 4…. wait – two – 3. 4….
Syncopation means emphasizing what would normally be a “weak” beat. Not playing on the first beat creates a sense of anticipation that gives the music a jazzy feel that makes you want to tap your toe.
Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer, which was popularized by the 1973 film The Sting, has a syncopated beat common to ragtime music. Ragtime music has a steady 4/4 bass beat that supports a “jagged” syncopated melody that keeps trying to interrupt the bass.
Have your child in piano lessons try the exercise above. So he gets a CD or the sheet music from The Entertainer. You can find a simplified arrangement for kids taking piano lessons online or at your local music store. It would make a nice birthday or Christmas present and you’ll love hearing them play this syncopated ragtime music written by Scott Joplin (1868-1917).