For a while now I have been seeing the word "counting" around here. And using the metronome for it. And how it will equate to lead guitar supremacy.
I've also seen more than one of us not fully buy in to why that is true. At times anyway.
I just read this in Outlaw's thread. Monte wrote it.
QUOTE
NO KAZ-BOX/COUNTING=NO SPEED OR RHYTHMIC COOLNESS
I think this is something that needs to be fully understood. I think that some of the benefits of metronome use have been implied and not fully explained. (or I didnt see the full explanation anyway)
"Why do I need to count?" has been said a few times.
What does this mean? Counting.....
Dan and I had a long talk where my point was "just knowing how to count in between the beats wont make me play any faster"
The metronome is a
2 part thing.
Part 1. -
improve speed & consistency. The whole process of playing along with a "dead on balls accurate" click is beneficial to speed. And timing. Cant play a lick at 90bpm? Slow it down to 50 and get it down. Then 55, then 60, then 65, then 70 etc..... I think we can all follow how this will get us to our speed goals. Without a measuring device you have to barometers. Success and failure. You cant measure progress that way. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH COUNTING.
Part 2. -
Counting. This is all the stuff about subdividing the beats. You cant play anything but quarter notes on the beat if you dont count. You may not do it conciously but you ARE counting when you play 16th notes. (4 in between the beats) And you ARE counting when you play triplets. (3 in between the beats) Practicing playing 1,2,3,4,5,6,8 beats inbetween each of those clicks is what is meant by the whole counting thing. Understanding the different note values and how they sound will allow you to write your own leads that sound rhythmically interesting. Instead of the quarter note hell that I am stuck in. Yeah, I can play leads. I figure out the key and play 1 note per beat from the appropriate scale. I've been doing that for years. Can you say BORING? Sure every once in a while I'll try and speed it up. But I bet if I could listen to any example of having done that its just 16th notes instead....
Developing a sense of timing and understanding the different uses of these various note values is what will give you GEARS to play in. Right now I'm a golf cart. I have 2 gears. Forward and backwards.
Becoming fluent in whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, 8th notes, 16th notes, triplets, 16th note triplets, quintuplets, = 8 GEARS!
Imagine how much more interesting my playing will be.
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GMC Forum > Discussion Boards > VINTAGE GMC > Community Activities and Tutorials > MTP - The Mentored Training Program > Lcsdds
Even if you don't want to shred you still gotta learn to use the Kaz-box. Learn to count and your rhythm playing and your lead lines will be SOOOO MUCH COOLER.!!! If you do want to shred you ain't gonna unless you make the Kaz-box your best friend. Don't take my word for it take Kris's. I talked to Emir the other day on Skype and he told me he went through about a 3 or 4 year period where he practiced intensely with the Kaz-box. 
