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Posted by: Johnny Göthe Norlin Apr 2 2008, 04:02 PM

I've been checking out different lessons here at GMC and I've realized that I have real problems breaking songs down to slower tempos and playing them with a metronome.

A perfect example is Gabriels lesson RHCP meet Zakk Wylde. The fast part where he plays 7 notes per beat is impossible for me to grasp. Not in a sense that I can't play it even at slow speeds but in the sense that even when slowing it down REAL slow I can't seem to play 7 notes per beat!!!

I dunno what it is but I can't get into my thick skull to think in different terms than always even amount of notes. Triplets are fine, but the transition to 5 notes, 7 notes etc. won't work for me. It's a whole other thing with 2, 4, 6 and 8 notes per beat; 'cuz that's an even number and that works just fine.

Anyone else having this problem? And how do I learn to play odd amounts of notes?

Posted by: at lights end Apr 2 2008, 04:10 PM

hmm when you're slowing it down you could count 1234567 without playing and when you get it 12345671234567... then start playing and counting simultaneously. don't know if that helps, but it's all i could think of.

edit: btw the numbers in bold are meant to be the metronome clicks

Posted by: Johnny Göthe Norlin Apr 2 2008, 04:14 PM

Well, yeah. It's kinda retarded really. I have a real good sense of rhythm (or do I xD) but to play parts with uneven amounts of notes really melts down my brain. Sure I can count to 7 and tap my foot at 1, but I can't seem to do it in an even manner.

If you've seen Kristofers video of basic metronome use you have the perfect example there when he tells you how to NOT play triplets. That's exactly what I'm doing only I'm playing 7 notes per beat.

Posted by: SinoMan Apr 2 2008, 04:16 PM

Try tapping it on your table with your fingers first.

Posted by: Muris Apr 2 2008, 05:25 PM

Some licks are constructed with odd number of notes,like groups,so it's easier to track,
you just put each 1st on beginning of each beat.
Depends of lick indeed.
Hard thing is to play regular runs,ascending and descending,
using odd groups,that IS hard to count.

Posted by: DeepRoots Apr 2 2008, 05:36 PM

Hmm i find this hard- 5 or 7 notes per beat can be a pain to count..

However- i find 3 notes per beat fine, so in theory it is doable

I guess its the magic word "practise" again

Posted by: Muris Apr 2 2008, 05:39 PM

Absolutely,triplets are easiest when it comes to odd numbers.

Posted by: DethKlok Apr 5 2008, 07:21 AM

I was having trouble with quarter triplets (yea, I'm a n00b), so I came up with this gradual technique to work on them which proved to be really helpful. Hopefully you can apply it to your 7 notes-per-beat problem. Basically the concept is, you start practicing the beat "training wheels" and slowly take them off. I made Guitar Pro tracks with the metronome to do this. I attached the file, but for anyone that doesn't have Guitar Pro, I'll also type up a text tab (although you'll need a drum machine or something that can generate these beats).

 quarter_triplets.gp5 ( 1.87K ) : 248


You should start slow, and it's easier if you work on just the rhythm of whatever you're trying to play first. I would recommend just playing an open string each note instead of trying to do something more complicated. I started by making a percussion track which strike every time I want to play a note like this:

' Q Q Q Q Q Q
' 3 3 3 3 3 3
|-x-x-x-x-x-x-|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|

Make sure the metronome feature is one (I also use the Count Down, but that's optional). Now, simply play a note every time you hear the drum beat. Do this until you're comfortable. The next step is to remove one of the beats from the drum track (training wheels). You can choose any one you want but I choose the 3rd beat of each set because it is least helpful to me. So you get this:


' Q Q Q Q Q Q
' 3 3 3 3 3 3
|-x-x---x-x---|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|

Now keep playing the same thing you played earlier, only without one of the training wheels. This should not be a hard transition if you were playing it correctly before. Once you have that down continue to gradually remove the training wheels like this:


' Q Q Q Q Q Q
' 3 3 3 3 3 3
|---x-----x---|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|

' Q Q Q Q Q Q
' 3 3 3 3 3 3
|---x---------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|


Before I remove the very last one (which will be the hardest to remove), I keep one set which still has a drum beat (training wheel), and one that is completely silent (except for the metronome). Finally, I remove the last training wheel. I find it helpful to practice with a Guitar Pro file that has all rests where I play, even though there's no sound to tell me when to play, if I get lost I can still look at the movement of the cursor in Guitar Pro going over the rests, which helps guide me back on.


' Q Q Q Q Q Q
' 3 3 3 3 3 3
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|
|-------------|

Once you have that down, you can increase the speed. You might have to start with the training wheels back on if increasing the speed throws you off, but it should take nearly as long to be able to completely remove them. Once you can play it consistently at the right speed, you can start playing the actual notes of the riff you're working on instead of an open string.

Hopefully, you find this to be a helpful tool in nailing those funky rhythms. Good luck!