Rhythm

How is a rhythmic sense created?

Musicians know that a sense of rhythm is essential to participation in music. One must feel the beat at all times. To lose the beat is to lose one's place in the music and it all falls apart.

How do people develop a sense of rhythm, a sense of pulse?

In my case, I was lucky enough to have a mother who was an accomplished musician. She felt that "rocking the baby" was essential for developing a a sense of pulse. When my own daughter was born, she immediately purchased a rocking chair for us to use with the baby.

Also, my favorite childhood activity was dancing in the living room while listening to classical music. Of course, repeating poems while nodding, bouncing, clapping, etc. is another important activity.

The most important test of whether a person has a sense of pulse is to play in a group with others.

It simply isn't possible to play music with other people without a sense of pulse. The group must agree on the pulse and feel it together. If it's a rock band, of course the drummer provides the pulse. In an orchestra, the conductor sets the pulse, but it's still up to each musician to feel the pulse, as well. There's no "going back", there's no "wait until I'm ready to play this note" - - you must keep up, even skipping notes or measures and going forward to where the pulse has gone.