I'm almost 52 and I've had a problem with rhythm as far back as I can remember. I truly cannot FEEL it. I've never been able to. I can SIMULATE feeling it. I can latch on to a sound--a drum beat, a clap, whatever. I can hear that, know it's a beat, even synchronize a foot movement or a note on an instrument to it. If that latch should drops out, I lose it. Immediately. It's almost comical, like that scene in The Jerk. One measure and I'm tapping my foot or clapping my hands way, way, way off.
It actually causes a lot of stress. Dancing is the worst. The only time my wife has ever seen me angry is when we took swing dancing lessons before our wedding. I was fine while someone was counting. As soon as the music started it was over, and trying to match up what seemed like four beats to what seemed like three steps was breaking my brain, since I really couldn't feel any of it under the surface. I once bought a series of banjo lessons and the teacher returned my money because he couldn't find a way to get us on the same page. He would play a note three times, then I would imitate him. He just kept looking at me in disbelief and asking if what I played sounded like what he played. To me, it did. Turn on the metronome, everything was fine, because I could check into that sound and react. Turn off the metronome--chaos, apparently.
It honestly feels like being colorblind or being unable to read social cues, where people try to muscle their way into passing using deductive reasoning. I'm trying to assemble some ability to hang from the outside in, and it really doesn't lead itself to any kind of authenticity.
At some point, I'd actually love to be able to play music socially. I also love to be able to dance to something other than a waltz (or, I guess, any music that has you going on the one with an oppressive beat that never drops out and a pretty rigid pattern of steps). Any techniques you might suggest?
Submitted April 11, 2023 at 02:16AM by thegrumpyorc https://www.reddit.com/r/Learnmusic/comments/12i9gq8/can_rhythm_be_taught/?utm_source=ifttt