A Piano-Centered Music Education Algorithm Starting from Rhythm — A Design-Based Study on Beat Internalization and the Formation of a Selectable

This paper presents a piano-centered music education algorithm that redefines rhythm not as an outcome of performance but as the starting point and grammatical foundation of musical learning.
The study analyzes recurring learning interruption and skill loss in traditional notation- and performance-centered piano education as structural failures of early educational design, rather than issues of talent or effort.

Using a design-based research (DBR) framework, the paper proposes an algorithmic learning structure centered on beat perception, rhythmic subdivision, bodily synchronization, and elastic rhythmic return. Through this process, learners transition from reproducing musical results to achieving a Selectable State, in which musical structures can be understood, transformed, and sustained over time.

Version v2.1 preserves the theoretical core and conclusions of earlier versions while adding Appendix A, which clarifies application conditions, interpretive boundaries, and non-prescriptive use.
This update does not replace or delete previous versions but serves as a continuous version update intended to improve clarity and prevent misinterpretation in educational and applied contexts.