The Skill Every Musician Needs, From Beginners to Professionals - That's Often Overlooked
Why do some students struggle to play in time — even when they can count perfectly? In this episode, we unpack one of the most fundamental (and overlooked) skills in piano teaching: beat.
We explore why beat is the foundation of all music, why rhythm can’t exist without it, and why counting alone doesn’t always help.
You’ll discover why beat is something students need to feel, not calculate - and how it helps at every level. We also demonstrate one of our favourite Whole Body Learning beat activities, Shark Shark.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
(00:00) Why Beat Is the Most Important Skill in Music (And Why It’s Often Missed)
(01:32) Why Counting Alone Doesn’t Guarantee Playing in Time
(02:50) Why Beat Is a Feeling — Not a Mathematical Process
(03:37) How One Simple Activity Can Build Beat, Reading, Creativity, and Awareness
(06:16) How Beat Supports Sight-Reading, Ensemble Playing, Focus, and Musical Confidence
Access the Shark Shark activity below to help students develop creativity, improvisation, reading stamina, and a deeper connection to music.
The Podcast Goodies & Resouces
Podcast resources are available on the Piano Teaching Success website. Simply log in via the link below to access
📝 Get the Shark Shark beat activity
If you’re a PTS Studio member, simply log in ➤ Access goodies instantly
New to Piano Teaching Success? ➤ Register and download
Join our Newsletter for updates
Small Favour
If you loved this episode and enjoyed the Shark Shark download, please click subscribe and like on your favourite platform - it helps more piano teachers discover this work and feel supported. 🎉
Listen/Watch on:
Popular Podcasts
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com