Metronome

[Babykabob]

anyone here jam with a metronome? when you first start you realize how poor your timing is, haha... if you don't use one, then start...theyre the most useful practice tool I can think of...

 

[sumairetsu]

I do. It really helps for rhythm players.

 

[Black Core]

When you begin to play, you'll need it to keep the rythm. But as you play longer and better, you'll no longer need it

 

[D-KOM]

A good invention, I use it for about 2 years. Helps a lot for the recording also, and for rehearsing with average drummers. hehe When you play lots of songs with different speed, it´s even more essential, for professionals also.

 

[sumairetsu]

But as you play longer and better, you'll no longer need it

Bullshit! Even the pros practice with them.

 

[Black Core]

Bullshit! Even the pros practice with them.

If they begin a new song perhaps.

 

[sumairetsu]

If they begin a new song perhaps.

No, sometimes it's just for practice.

 

[Black Core]

No, sometimes it's just for practice.

When you know when to strike wich drum you don't need it, or am I wrong?

 

[sumairetsu]

When you know when to strike wich drum you don't need it, or am I wrong?

It's so you know if you're playing in time and on the beat, not which drum you're striking or which note you're playing.

For instance: if you're playing bass guitar, you should not hear the finger or pick plucking the string when playing with a metronome. The only thing you should be hearing is the metronome.

 

[Black Core]

It's so you know if you're playing in time and on the beat, not which drum you're striking or which note you're playing.

For instance: if you're playing bass guitar, you should not hear the finger or pick plucking the string when playing with a metronome. The only thing you should be hearing is the metronome.

I see

 

[TylerTheNuke]

It usually works the opposite for me. When I am on, I don't even hear the metronome. I've played sax for 8 years and I still use it all the time, much more then when I was a beginner. When you play, you can really speed up or slow down without even noticing. It also helps for speed training. Just speed it up one notch (4-6 bpm) every time. I learned a charlie parked song that way, and was just as fast as he was on the recording. (CP is a really fast and crazy saxophonist, for all of you metal-only sorts. He revolutionized jazz, partly because of his heroin addiction making him play crazy ass shit.) I basically use a metronome whenever I have to play rythmecilly complex shit or realize that I am dragging/rushing. A good way for your band to pratice with a metronome is for the drummer to put on headphones with the metronome, that way even if the rest of the band tends to rush, the drummer can ignore it and fight their tempo (which is really hard w/o a metronome).

 

[DHD]

The secret to metronome practice is to realise what aspect of playing you wish to get from it.

You can work on playing evenly through a technical section and want to play it without speeding up or slowing down.

You might want to test if your coordination is causing you to miss the beat such as guitarists when stringskipping or changing from single notes to chords or drummers changing from the ride to crash or hats etc.

You could be looking to keep your internal pulse strong. Say you learn to playyour guitar or sax,bass etc while keeping the beat with your foot by tapping it whilst you play. You maintain your foot taping for a few months while playing your parts;making sure that your foot is always right on the beat and your playing is bang on too and then eventually you don;t need to tap the foot.Easy! But you do need to top this skill up and maintaining it. Generally though you can do this to recorded tracks that are played in to a metronome.

The main thing in all of this is to practice perfectly. I have learned that you can save yourselves alot of time by playing perfectly under control a few beats per minute less than you are capable off playing an idea. Try this...

Break down something you want to play into smaller ideas and phrases. Then play the idea you are working on 3 times through without making mistakes. If you can't do it then slow down until it is managable with control. Remember;3times through without mistakes. Then stop. Reset yourself. Take a minute to relax and begin again at the same BPM. If you can do it again 3 times through without mistakes then send your metronome up a few BMP and start again. THE TRICK IS TO NOT PRACTICE MAKING MISTAKES. This is what makes it all go into your system efficiently.

Another thing is that midi takes time settle and you can see it sort of ramp up when you look at programmed part brought into pro tools. The programmed part gets faster then evens out. Then it wavers up and down, up and down by a almost a beat per minute! So if you practice to a DAW using Cubase or Logic or Sonar etc then that is what is happening. Just thought I'd share this info with you. I used to teach at a further education college.

Peace,
DHD

 

[Black Core]

It usually works the opposite for me. When I am on, I don't even hear the metronome. I've played sax for 8 years and I still use it all the time, much more then when I was a beginner. When you play, you can really speed up or slow down without even noticing. It also helps for speed training. Just speed it up one notch (4-6 bpm) every time. I learned a charlie parked song that way, and was just as fast as he was on the recording. (CP is a really fast and crazy saxophonist, for all of you metal-only sorts. He revolutionized jazz, partly because of his heroin addiction making him play crazy ass shit.) I basically use a metronome whenever I have to play rythmecilly complex shit or realize that I am dragging/rushing. A good way for your band to pratice with a metronome is for the drummer to put on headphones with the metronome, that way even if the rest of the band tends to rush, the drummer can ignore it and fight their tempo (which is really hard w/o a metronome).

I play sax too. For about 9 years now. I don't really use a metronome anymore. Except for a rythmical tough piece. haven't even tried CP yet, don't think I can handle that. I have to play the sax-solo from pink panther now. Fucking nice. you can play your own speed.

 

[TylerTheNuke]

I love Pink Panther! You into jazz or classical?

 

[Black Core]

jazz and songs like ennion morricone

 

[TylerTheNuke]

Good stuff. I've been playing for 8 years, I like jazz more, but I am better at classical. I've never heard of ennion morricane, is it a belgian song?

 

[Majesty]

Good stuff. I've been playing for 8 years, I like jazz more, but I am better at classical. I've never heard of ennion morricane, is it a belgian song?

Ennio Morricone is the guy who did the soundtrack to those old spaghetti-westerns (Fistful of Dollars,The Good,The Bad and The Ugly)

 

[Black Core]

Ennio Morricone is the guy who did the soundtrack to those old spaghetti-westerns (Fistful of Dollars,The Good,The Bad and The Ugly)

yep, that's him, I just spelled it wrong.