The neglecting of rest values when counting
Beyond the comprehension of rest notation, some students lack the courage to embrace silences in the music. It takes a strong will to hold a rest for its full value and keep the audience engaged and suspended in the moment of silence. Rests are as essential to a piece as notes are, but it’s very easy for pianists to breeze through them and thus disrupt the overall effect of the music.
Symptoms
Prescriptions
Take Action
In lesson
The action taken in ‘Take Action’ will depend on the duration of the rests and the counting method your student is using. If she is missing a one-beat rest, for example, a simple clap can be a perfect surrogate for silence. If the rest is longer you might come up with a sequence together that fits in with her counting, such as tapping: head–lap–shoulders–lap to signify a two-beat rest where she is counting “one and two and”.
She can practice with the aid of these actions for quite a while, transitioning when you think she is ready to imagine the actions instead of physically doing them.
At home
Draw pictures or write notes on your student’s score to remind her to practice with these actions at home. If she comes back the following week and plays without using the actions, ask her to repeat with the actions you discussed. Do this as many times as necessary until she includes the actions on the first try.
Freezeframe
In lesson
Ask your student to play as normal except that when she gets to the rest she must freeze mid-air while you count out the rest. Repeat this, asking her to count out loud herself during the rest. Then ask her to repeat it once more, this time counting in her head. Do this for all rests going forward until her restlessness is cured. Each time you start a new piece or section, ask her to search for the ‘Freezeframes’, mark them, and write in the counts she will need to say while she freezes.
At home
Your student can practice this at home using just the second two steps. The first time she plays her piece each day she should count out loud during the ‘Freezeframes’, and each time after that she should count in her head. Continue the same process at the next lesson, always reminding her to count out loud during the ‘Freezeframes’ on the first try so that she is clear this is not a one-off exercise. Be persistant and she will learn to practice this skill at home.
Related Diagnoses
Presto Infatuation
Rhythm Allergy