Metronome.. real deal behind it Options

[sanders4617]

Ok. I have been playing for a little over a year.. and I have never used a metronome. I hear people talk about it.. but I have never really found the true reason behind it. I hear how it somehow helps build speed and stuff.. can I get some more information on it and how to correctly use it. I have a metronome (only because it is on my tuner). My dad says he uses one in a studio when recording.. but otherwise, he doesn't. So I guess some people never do use them for gaining speed.

Anyway.. information is appreciated, thanks.

[Kristofer Dahl]

If you aren't striving to build speed quickly - you can get away without a metronome. You still have to play/practice to some kind of steady beat (drummer, cd player etc).

I presume your father, when learning to play, was not sitting alone in a room for a couple of years. He got his sense of timing through a band, maybe.

The danger is to practice for a long time building speed (with exercises etc) without a metronome.

So who can offer a short description on how to get started with the metronome?

/Kris

[sanders4617]

My dad most likely learned timing from the style of music he played.. he played a lot of bluegrass when growing up(till playing with bands in his teen years), and I guess that can develop timing. Personally, I don't have a hard time with timing.. I just didn't know if I was missing something here.. and I would love to gain speed, and want to do it the right way.

I am really in hunt for a band at the moment though.. from all musicians I know.. they say that when you start playing in a band is when you really start improving.

[Kristofer Dahl]

My dad most likely learned timing from the style of music he played.. he played a lot of bluegrass when growing up(till playing with bands in his teen years), and I guess that can develop timing. Personally, I don't have a hard time with timing.. I just didn't know if I was missing something here.. and I would love to gain speed, and want to do it the right way.

I am really in hunt for a band at the moment though.. from all musicians I know.. they say that when you start playing in a band is when you really start improving.

A comon misconseption is that as long as you can tap your foot to what your playing, you are alright.

The point is that as long as you are not playing to a steady beat you are constantly fluctuating up and down tempo wise - this is not something you will notice [until after a couple of years when you try to play with a band].

If you spend hours and hours learning licks while constantly fluctuating up and down, you will never be a ble to play those impressive runs in synch with a beat. No matter how much you tap you foot.

That is where the metronome comes in. So there is no way around it!

/Kris

[sanders4617]

Well.. I started trying to use this metronome. I don't know if I am doing it right.. but it is on 140 bmp and and I am just picking a steady pattern. I think I am doing what they call 2 notes per beat or something like that.. I don't think I am doing 4 for every beep. Anyway.. Just doing this.. I have noticed that a lot of stuff sounds better.. and this is within 15 minutes of doing this. My legato actually had a really smooth feeling to it. lol. Maybe I am imagining things.. but if it keeps going like it is, I will be using this thing everyday. Ok.. I tried measuring and I am doing 3 notes per beep. How much should I raise the bpm after each session at one speed? I am doing about 5 bpm.

Haha and no.. I am not :smoke

[Kristofer Dahl]

Sounds good! Don't raise it until you are completely comfortable with what you are doing!

Well.. I started trying to use this metronome. I don't know if I am doing it right.. but it is on 140 bmp and and I am just picking a steady pattern. I think I am doing what they call 2 notes per beat or something like that.. I don't think I am doing 4 for every beep. Anyway.. Just doing this.. I have noticed that a lot of stuff sounds better.. and this is within 15 minutes of doing this. My legato actually had a really smooth feeling to it. lol. Maybe I am imagining things.. but if it keeps going like it is, I will be using this thing everyday. Ok.. I tried measuring and I am doing 3 notes per beep. How much should I raise the bpm after each session at one speed? I am doing about 5 bpm.

Haha and no.. I am not  :smoke

[sanders4617]

My only problem is getting myself to do 4 notes per beep compared to 3.. Something about 3.. I dunno. I'll keep working at it.

BTW.. Would like to ask about scales..

See.. I know the minor pentatonic scale up and down the neck..and pretty much the blues scale also.. its just when I do some other scale, I always have to stay right there at the "root" position. Usually I will just end up adding the minor pentatonic licks in there with it since I only know 1 position of the scale.. Like mixolydian. Is it fine to do that or should I go for learning the whole scale on those too? I am thinking that if I just find the notes that I am adding/taking away.. it would make it much easier.

[Kristofer Dahl]

My only problem is getting myself to do 4 notes per beep compared to 3.. Something about 3.. I dunno. I'll keep working at it.

BTW.. Would like to ask about scales..  

See.. I know the minor pentatonic scale up and down the neck..and pretty much the blues scale also.. its just when I do some other scale, I always have to stay right there at the "root" position. Usually I will just end up adding the minor pentatonic licks in there with it since I only know 1 position of the scale.. Like mixolydian. Is it fine to do that or should I go for learning the whole scale on those too? I am thinking that if I just find the notes that I am adding/taking away.. it would make it much easier.

I think you should one "adjacent" box and start connecting them after a while.

I am woring on a lesson right now which actually covers the things you asked. Hope to get it up this evening or tomorrow.

[MFC]

Interesting points. I have been looking at metronomes, although I am a newbie I have noticed that when I try to play stuff at a certain rythm or pace I just don't get it right. It sounds ok but the timing is off and with a metronome I should be able to practise this.

The question is, is ANY metronome good enough or should I look for those which have certain functions. Just looking at a couple of examples (see below), the "*" denotes the pricing (one is cheapest)

*
http://www.musikborsen.se/frameset.aspx?id...tno=160212&fm=1

**
http://www.musikborsen.se/itempg.aspx?id=1...44&artno=149847

***
http://www.musikborsen.se/itempg.aspx?id=1...66&artno=156224

[Liam]

http://www.korg.com/gear/info.asp?a_prod_n...0&category_id=5

I have this one and works perfect .

[Kristofer Dahl]

Interesting points. I have been looking at metronomes, although I am a newbie I have noticed that when I try to play stuff at a certain rythm or pace I just don't get it right. It sounds ok but the timing is off and with a metronome I should be able to practise this.

The question is, is ANY metronome good enough or should I look for those which have certain functions. Just looking at a couple of examples (see below), the "*" denotes the pricing (one is cheapest)

*
http://www.musikborsen.se/frameset.aspx?id...tno=160212&fm=1

**
http://www.musikborsen.se/itempg.aspx?id=1...44&artno=149847

*** http://www.musikborsen.se/itempg.aspx?id=1...mp;artno=156224

Any of these will do - I have a much more basic one...

[BollyRotten]

I now dont use my metronome. I got one of these new pedals Zoom G2 which i find well impressive and got it real cheap off ebay (new!)

Besides the great effects it has it has a built in drum machine with 40 preset rythems & a metronome.

Im now just using the drum machine and after 3 weeks of usage i cannot believe i did 3 years without one.

[Kristofer Dahl]

I now dont use my metronome. I got one of these new pedals Zoom G2 which i find well impressive and got it real cheap off ebay (new!)  

Besides the great effects it has it has a built in drum machine with 40 preset rythems & a metronome.  

Im now just using the drum machine and after 3 weeks of usage i cannot believe i did 3 years without one.

Yes - in fact I use a drum machine or a sequencer most of the time..