The Metronome

[Obivion]

Can I have some advice on how to use a metrenome to increase speed/accuracy while alternate picikng? I notice guitarists such as Friedman and Malmsteen are excellent alternate pickers, even at fast tempos and I would like to know what sort of practice routine allows guitarists to attain that accuracy.

[Padawan]

For most people it takes many years to get the speed of Malmsteen for example, although I talked to someone who told me it took him 4 weeks. (I can't really believe it :D). His name is www.kai-stringer.com (http://www.kai-stringer.com)
Use the search function and you will find many picking exercises. Maybe you will ask yourself if you'll ever be able to get that fast, but don't worry, everyone can. Just be patient and don't get frustrated.

@my ibm brothers: I will move to another town tomorrow and start working, so I will be off for a whyle until I installed myself in the new room. See ya!

[newamerikangosp]

As with most things, its not what you are practicing, its how precise you are. If you know any kind of classical peice for the guitar (paganini is a great one), or any type of etude, just turn the metronome on and play it through. Make sure that its fast enough to make your hand work, but not to fast to make you inaccurate. Just use that use that as the base, and change the peice music when you see fit. Also try to learn new stuff.


I think right now I am going to set down with the metronome and practice frantic disembowlment by cannibal corpse, just because it is crazyness and Pat is stretching the boundaries of guitar playing.

[Obivion]

Thanks you guys, that was really helpful. Do you use the metronome on pieces that seem to have more of a freetime feel ie, parts of "Eruption", or do you just play how you feel?

[joeyd929]

Thanks you guys, that was really helpful. Do you use the metronome on pieces that seem to have more of a freetime feel ie, parts of "Eruption", or do you just play how you feel?

I don't use an actual metronome, what I do is use music or jam tracks to practice to. It works out to be the same thing, you are playing to something that has a set timing.

It makes more sense to me to practice to music because I have never seen a live performance of a musician and his metronome. I guess the ad would be something like this. "See Joe Blow and his piano, LIVE with the singing metronomes".... Right...

I would bet that the best jazz musicians play to music...but hey, that's me..

[eastwood]

Yeah, I do the same.

I record a backing track at a certain tempo / key and run with that for a week or so. Then I record a new one in a different tempo / key.

Your sorta getting to know the scales / intervals as you are practising your accuracy.

Daz

[newamerikangosp]

Well, everyone has their own way of getting where they want to be.

BUT, when I was 18, I used to do little practices all of the time. I was got relatively fast at them, and could impress my non musical friends. But when I bought my first metronome, I realized that I sucked. I was playing fine in certain positions/modes, but I would slow down if I got to a tricky part. So while I could play fast in certain areas, I was handicapping myself by not being fast in ALL areas. Point is, that when you play rubato (freetime) you have no rhythm to follow, so you make your own. When you first start out, you think you are playing in time, but you are playing in your own time. So whether it is a backing track set to a metronome, or a metronome, practice is practice. You aren't going to go to a club/show and start practicing. You practice so that you can play proficiently when you do play a club/show.

[joeyd929]

If you record a backing track to act as a virtual metronome, or a music metronome, for lack of a better term, you can use altered chords to throw in a twist.. while practicing timing you can work on ear training.

This can help attune your ears to playing over altered chords. I say this because especially with Jazz, part of getting used to playing over altered chords is getting accustomed to the "off beat" tonality. Such as playing a 13b9 chord or something off the hook like that...

Sometimes a normal riff or run can sound different over an altered chord, yet it works....it helps with recognizing and the whole thinking process, while you develop accuracy and timing.

[widdly widdly]

One advantage of a metronome over a backing track is using it to internalize the pulse. For solo improvisors, internalizing rhymic pulse with relation to the harmony or chord progression is very important and sometime quite difficult. This is especially so if you plan to perform solo or in a group without a drummer. You can push yourself with a metronome by reducing it to click only twice every bar or once every bar. This way you can really internalize the pulse.

[silent-storm]

One advantage of a metronome over a backing track is using it to internalize the pulse. For solo improvisors, internalizing rhymic pulse with relation to the harmony or chord progression is very important and sometime quite difficult. This is especially so if you plan to perform solo or in a group without a drummer. You can push yourself with a metronome by reducing it to click only twice every bar or once every bar. This way you can really internalize the pulse.

very true. Drummers do this all the time. You can find metronomes online that go down below 20 bpm and you can really stretch it out to a beat every 2-4 bars. Trade 4's with yourself, where it's one click every 4 bars. If you come in anywhere near the downbeat then you are doing pretty good.

another problem with backing tracks is that a lot of them have standard and stereotypical rhythms that are used all the time. I know I have to often stop myself from playing 'band in a box' or Aebersold rhythms. Although if you cut out the chord instruments and just use bass and drums you can get away from that...but the bass lines are usually very average.

[leppard81]

I don't use an actual metronome, what I do is use music or jam tracks to practice to...

Thats a good advice! But let me add: Practicing to a metronome helps me a bit more than practicing to music since there are no "distractions". I can totally focus on what I do and how i do it, whereas playing to music would create better ideas/melodies, yet takes the focus away of the actual practicing. And since practicing is not actualy PLAYING it kinda works for me.

[joeyd929]

I think distractions are good because performing live has distractions of it's own. It's mind over matter.

[eastwood]

....like....

your cant hear yourself
your too loud and cant hear anyone else
the monitor mix is bad
loads of feedback
agressive audience
non-existant audience
your having a bad night
the drummers having a bad night
you might have to extend the lead break as your vocalist just imploded

and so on.............

If I want to practise purely to a beat then I just mute the bass / guitar from my backing track.
Sometimes a song idea will evolve from a backing track too

Daz

[leppard81]

I think distractions are good because performing live has distractions of it's own. It's mind over matter.

Yes, but thats when you PLAY. At least with me its the case that when I´m on stage and I´m nervous I sometimes tend to run on "auto-pilot". So if I know how everythings supposed to sound and feel without distractions I helps me to recreate whats needed on stage while having these distractions around me. I hope this makes sense...

[eastwood]

Try to never play in 'Auto Pilot' mode - I have a little secret to prevent me from doing this.

:confused:

I say to my inner self.......'Listen to Sven'

Works for me !

Daz

[Obivion]

The reason I was considering practising with a metronome is that you can gradually increase the speed (unlike with a backing track). I'vr heard that musicians such as Petrucci use it a lot. Generally, I would think that playing with a metronome might help my timing as I have the habit of speeding up if I'm playing live (I still remember playing A tout le Monde solo at break neck speed). I think that tight rhythm is also very useful in a band situation and its always useful to have a drummer who can keep time. Thanks for your help.

[joeyd929]

Did you ever watch a conductor lead an orchestra. Perfect timing, but the conductor IS the metronome. I always wondered how they get such a perfect natural sense of timing.

[Etude]

Using a metronome can do nothing but help. Most people who have bad timing don't even know it. Try using a metronome on eigth notes at Adagio or slower. Less than 60 BPM and you'll find out how good your rhythm is. it is much harder to keep time at a very slow tempo. If you want to go for speed turn it up to your limit and practice that way till you are comfortable and then move it up a notch. I'm no speed demon and don't aspire to be but i use a metronome often..it is a musicians best friend..


Tom