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Posted by: Outlaw2112 Jan 29 2008, 01:40 AM

Hey, ive been trying to use the metronome and have gone over your lessons on it... I dont seem to be getting it.. Could you possibly make some more lessons on using the metronome.. Maybe some scale runs that sound cool and are fun to practice.. Or a some nasty sounding rhythm lessons using the metronome... It would help out alot..
Also I wanted to say that i love the site, and youre doing a great job with it..

Posted by: Kristofer Dahl Feb 15 2008, 06:52 PM

Getting started with the metronome can be tricky - and is very important to get right from the start!

If you specify your problem more specifically - we might be able to solve it right here in the forum. Or perhaps we will stumble upon an uncovered topic which an instructor might want to address...?

Moving this to the main board so we can get maximum input.

Posted by: kahall Feb 16 2008, 03:59 AM

I see this question asked often here and I to struggled (still do a little) with the metronome. My feelings are if a person has never had any professional training at all in music (like me) it can be tough for a new guitar player to understand even if you have an awesome explanation as in the vids by Kris.
I had the hardest time trying to count and play at the same time and never new if I was really doing it right or keeping the proper time. Eventually I just put trying to do it exactly right out of my mind, but I always left the metronome on, sometimes speeding up the clicks and just picking to them exactly as they clicked, sometimes I would set it to the proper bpm sometimes not, but I always had/have it on even if I can barely hear it. I still do this but have noticed lately it has become easier to use it correctly, and even play 16ths properly, it just happened one day. You just get used to it over time and start to understand how it can really improve your playing. I do recommend at least trying to use it the way Kris shows us all in the lessons from the start since you might actually get it sooner rather than later, but for me it just took a long time..about 8 months of playing everyday for 2 hours...then BAM it was caught in the steel trap that is my mind. In summary, just keep the metronome on, even if it does not make sense and it eventually will.

Posted by: Outlaw2112 Feb 16 2008, 04:14 AM

I can play one note per beat perfect, its when i start counting 1,2,3,4 that i lose count when doing faster speeds... Ive been using this site lately to practice my scales over the backing track... http://www.jamcenter.com/jammachinee.html
it seems like my mistakes while playing fast scales, are becoming cool sounding licks..

But i want to use the metronome and use it correctly and use it everyday... I guess its gonna take some time to use it, it just gets boring playing one note per beat, even playing at 200 bps... but reading your experience with it, gives me hope.

Posted by: Outlaw2112 Feb 16 2008, 04:21 AM

more lessons on using the metronome would be cool... maybe some cool sounding scale runs with beginner, intermediate and advanced metronome lessons explaining what youre listening for and doing... also some lessons on using the metronome playing rhythm guitar with it..

Posted by: RobM Feb 16 2008, 04:43 AM

Sounds to me like you're trying to use the metronome too fast in the beginning. At first start out slow, maybe 60BPM or even less if that is necessary, play one note per beat on one string, then slowly increase it up to where you want to be, maybe 120 BPM or more I dunno? Then lower the speed again down to 60 BPM and then try one note per beat while you are running the scale from low E to high E: E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G and back again, slowly increase your speed up to where you want it to be. Remember if each and every note on every string is not sounding out like it should be then you are going too fast.

After that you can try two beats per note, then three and so on until you can run that scale forwards and backwards without mistake at whatever speed you want it maxed out as. Once you can do this then you can try other scales and patterns one at a time until you feel good enough that you can do anything at any speed. of course I simplified this quite a bit, but I think you get what I mean?

Posted by: mattacuk Feb 16 2008, 10:32 AM

Before I practice a lick, or a bar or music I ALWAYS look at the musical notation first to get the timeing information. Then with the metronome still off, I count out the bar whilst playing SLOWLY.

For examples sake, lets take a look at the guitarpro tab/ musical notation for Muris's Paul Gilbert lesson.



The time signature tells us there is 4 quater not beats in a bar.

The first bar is a simple rythm to play, your simply playing "1 - 2 , 1 - 2 , 1- 2, 1 - 2" (2 x 8th notes = 1 quater note/crochet) for each beat (metronom click).

Easy right?

So lets look at bar 2. The first 3 beats are again 8th notes, plus one quater note on beat 4 so -

"1 - 2 , 1 - 2 , 1- 2, 1"

BARS 3, 4, 5 & 6 follow this pattern, so easy to follow here.


On bar Seven we are looking at a different rythm alltogether , but still easy to count out and practicr slowly. We are of course look at 16th note triples - in simple terms your just play 6 notes in one beat. So count, 1,2,3,4,5,6, - this repeats itself up to beat 3. And on beat 4 were faced with 2 x 16th notes and 1 8th note in a beat.

Again this this is simple to count out, you have 2 x 16th notes in the first half of the beat, and one 8th note in the second half of the beat. For arguments sake I would just count, 1-2 / 1

The last note on bar 7 (C note) is actually tied into the whole note on bar eight, so let this note ring for another full 4 beats.


NEXT, I will turn my metronome on slowly and play this rythm as per I have worked it out here. It can be tricky at first but soon it become ingrained in your playing and you NO LONGER have to count because it becomes natural.

When players are practicing with a metronome there not always counting, this is only done at the start to work out how to play the beats. (well this is how I work anyway)

I can appreciate this may seem a little baffleing to new starters, and this is why I totally recommend MORE reading on "time" and music notation. It really is a good idea if you want to branch out and start playing how you want too

Posted by: chast Feb 16 2008, 01:40 PM

Good explanation, matt, I always wondered why nobody mentions the rhythm notation

Posted by: Nemanja Feb 16 2008, 02:00 PM

what I knowe a bout metronome is that is the moust boring and moust efective way to practise....
it dosent matter what instrument...but scales on 60bpm is the best way for your brain and fingers to remembere...

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Feb 16 2008, 02:47 PM

I don't think the lessons about using a metronome will help a lot, because for EVERY lesson it goes without saying that you have to use the metronome.

What you need is some advice about HOW to practice with a metronome properly in order to get best results. You can check out Kris's metronome lesson. I can write down the basic system which I follow when practicing with a metronome so you can see an example:

when I practice something that I've never practices before

- start with one note value at 60bpm (that's 4 beats for one note). this way I have all the time I need to exactly focus on the fingers, changes and to relax your fingers in the start. This is the most important stage of practicing because here you pick-up all the good (or the bad) habits. Later on you just speed them up. This why it is important to follow all the general rules regarding proper playing. we begin slow so you can apply all these things more easily.
- continue repeating the exercise while increasing the tempo by 20. This first stage is the most boring one, but if you play it perfectly there it is the most rewarding one as well. so you go from 60bpm to 80 and 100.
- when I reach 100bpm full note values I can transfer to "second level" and that is half note values (one note per two beats) at 60bpm. then I go the same 60-80-100
- when I reach 100bpm half notes go to 60bpm quarter notes (one note per one beat) and do runs at 60, 80 and100bpm
- when I reach 100bpm go to 60bpm eight notes. here I will start increasing by 10bpm increments. so it's 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110
- move to quarter note values and do 5bpm increments. 60, 65, 75 and so on. if you feel you hand tensing up, it is always best to stop take a short break, play something else and then continue later than to push forward, because you'll become sloppy very fast.

when I practice something that I've practiced before and continuing, I do everything the same, but this time I start with half notes right away.

when I practice rhythm strumming, I start from 16notes right away at 40bpm and going by 10bpm

there are numerous other ways to use a metronome, like using odd time signatures (3/4, 5/4, 7/8), speed bursts (increasing note values to triplets or higher for one bar during practice at the same tempo rate), note values practice (often used by drummers, where you don't change the tempo of the metronome at all, all you do is change is note values)

hope this will help you how to practice all you chops with metronome. And remember everything needs to be played with a metronome i order to play it properly and everything depends on that first stage at whole notes 60bpm/

Posted by: Outlaw2112 Feb 16 2008, 02:55 PM

guess ill just slow it down alot, and try it again...

Posted by: Wallimann Feb 16 2008, 02:55 PM

Just adding on the side note that the closeups of my next lessons will be over a metronome track..

Posted by: Outlaw2112 Feb 16 2008, 03:01 PM

Posted by: mattacuk Feb 16 2008, 04:22 PM

I agree, studying the notation is the quickest and most accurate way to play the rythm to a metronome. With a little bit of study in this area any one here can make themselves a better guitarist TODAY

Posted by: Staples Mar 7 2008, 02:18 PM

Found an interesting site while looking up metronome help myself. Figure I'd put it in this thread rather than dump another metronome thread into the forum.

http://www.stetina.com/lessons/metronome.html

Posted by: Shawn Mar 7 2008, 05:22 PM

Interesting lesson. Though not specifically related to metronome practice, I liked the part about practicing outward for difficult sections you're trying to learn. I've never doen that before, and I'm going to give it a try in my practice later today.

Thank you for the link.