Staying on beat makes very little sense when it's changing so often and doesn't 'feel' on beat. The monster sometimes waits at the bottom of stairs and the audio isn't good enough to determine whether the monster has passed or not. 

A visual cue for when the beat occurs is absolutely necessary for this game to work in my honest opinion. 

The visuals and story seem to be interesting but it is incredibly difficult to get immersed or care when you're only worried about staying on beat just to move and not die.

You don't have to change anything but as someone who considers themselves to be reasonably proficient as a gamer, this game is currently unsatisfyingly difficult. 

Sorry to hear you're having so much difficulty. Here's a few tips to help you:

1. The monster will spot and take chase from five tiles away if its moving towards the player and the player is not hidden.
2. Listen for when the monster hits a wall to know its route (it makes a wall bump sound).
3. Hiding (by pressing and holding the up key) is possible only when not spotted by the monster.
4. Using headphones, it should be possible to pinpoint the monster's patrol route and wait for an opening to act.
5. Staying still decreases the heart rate.