𝙨𝒕𝙖𝒓𝙙𝒐𝙢'𝙨 𝙨𝒆𝙘𝒓𝙚𝒕 - 𝐥𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐱 𝐟em! 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

chapter 05 - rhythm

The metronome clicked at a steady tempo on y/n's phone as she went through the song for what seemed to be the thousandth time that evening.

Her assignment was to muscle memorize a cheerful allegro song.

Normally this would be on the easier side.

If she hadn't forgotten to practice all week. Now, she was forcing herself to remember a song the night before it was due.

There was only one line on the score pissing her off now.

Of course it was the last one.

Just two eighth notes, that was all. Two extremely annoying eighth notes.

Just how was she supposed to jump from 4/4 to 7/8? She wasn't Ray Chen.

The room rebounded a horrible sound, the sound of a mistake.

Y/n had been practicing so much that it seemed to feel counterproductive, but her perfectionism wasn't going to let that stop her.

Ricochet, the bow bounced off the violin against her will in her frustration.

"Can you shut the hell up with that horrid instrument?" Her younger brother called from his room down the hall.

"I'm practicing so I don't sound like shit!"

"Clearly, you haven't practiced enough!"

"What's going on up there?" Y/n's mother called from downstairs.

"Nothing, mom!" The siblings replied at the same time.

Maybe some rhythm games would help.

_______

Rhythm games did not help.

"Oh my God, why can't I full combo it?" She groaned at the screen, shining with the words, Show Clear! With a ginger giving a smug thumbs up.

Music, for all that she loved it, seemed to be a little annoying today.

Maybe Lyney could help. If he knew anything about music, that is.

She called him, and he picked up surprisingly quick.

"Do you know anything about music?"

"I know... a bit. Why?"

"How do I play a seventh-eighths beat?"

"Aren't you the violinist? Shouldn't you know?"

"Well, I should but... it's weird."

"It is odd timing after all!"

"..."

"So can you help?"

"Yes, yes..."

____

They had stayed on the phone for four hours. They had dropped the music subject 2 hours in.

"I should probably go because it's like, ten o' clock."

"Of course. See you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow..."

Beep beep beep.

That was so unproductive! Her hands began to sweat in a panic. She loved talking to Lyney, but now she would have to cram a bucketload of practice into her morning.

_____

"That was great, y/n, but uh..." the old European woman that was y/n's instructor said as she finished playing. "I think you missed the key signature..."

"Huh?"

"See, you were playing in a natural key signature, but it's a flat key signature."

y/n stared at the sheet music and sure enough, it read, 7/8, followed by four flat symbols.

"How did I not see that?"

"It's okay, y/n dear, you did amazing anyway. Everything else was correct."

Y/n sighed and hung her head. "Can I try again, in that case?"

"Of course, go ahead."

And so she did, and with her instructor's guidance, she did it correctly.

Finally!

"Oh, perfect, y/n! That was wonderful!"

Y/n couldn't help but smile at the woman. "Thank you."

"However, we're out of time for today. I'll see you next Saturday, y/n!"

"Oh, okay. Bye, and thank you!"