Timing Issues, I can't learn any songs due to not being able to get the hang of t Options

[liveOASISforever]

Hi everyone. I have serious issues with timing when trying to learn songs. I have never being able to play a full song or solo because I just can't get to grip with timing. It makes me just want to put the guitar down.

I understand playing a 4/4 timing song and strumming in 1/4 , 1/8 or 1/16 and counting in in my head. but when it comes to reading tab I don't understand how to count the bar in my head. I know listening to the song itself can help but I personally feel that I have a bad ear.

Can anyone please give me some advice/tips it would be very much appreciated thanks in advance Sean.

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[Kristofer Dahl]

Awesome to see you post here Sean!

To be honest with you - I have never really had great sense of 'musical periodicity' myself (I have always been bad at understanding time measures and counting when playing). So I won't try to give you an answer in terms of 1/4 , 1/8 or 1/16

However if your problem is understanding the timing when trying to play songs - I might still be able to help you.

I think the best method is to listen over and over to the part you are trying to learn, and then try to play it yourself along with the actual song. If you have the possibility to do it with a slowed-down version of the song it will make things easier.

When doing this - bare in mind that it is perfectly "normal" to spend hours just trying to nail a few seconds from a song. This is the way it goes for anyone trying to learn something new (especially beginners).

I think that if you go for this method and apply a healthy dose of patience and perseverance - you will reach your goals. On the way there you will have acquired an understanding for different rhythms (among many other things).

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[liveOASISforever]

Hi Kristofer

Thanks for taking time to give me some advice. It does take me a lot off time just to nail a few seconds worth in a song. Its really
frustrating. I'm sure it will get easier the more I practice. I am going to choose a song and work hard on the timing using you're advice and hopefully my brain and ears start to process everything . It may take weeks and weeks but I'm sure in the end it will be very rewarding.

Thanks Sean

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[Patrik Berg]

Often our minds get in the way with too much concern about picking direction and such, hard to explain this but feel the song, don't think it. Another thing to practice is to vocalize the rhythm, if you can say it you can play it.

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[ConnorGilks]

Sit down with a metronome and set it to count 4 beats, accenting the first beat. Just simply tap your foot along to it. Then get your guitar and just play a chord on each beat while still tapping your foot. You'll find keeping time becomes easier when you engage your body in it by tapping your foot. If you are still having trouble, take a step back and just go back to only tapping your foot. Progressively up the difficulty by playing a full chord progression, or a full lick, or a full solo etc.

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[thefireball]

Don't despair! Everything comes with time and practice. Sometimes you have to slow it waaaayyyy down. I highly recommend you check out my video from last year. I put together my 3 year progression of guitar from Day 1. I have even improved from this video! Anybody can watch this video from my signature.

Brandon

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[Cosmin Lupu]

Often our minds get in the way with too much concern about picking direction and such, hard to explain this but feel the song, don't think it. Another thing to practice is to vocalize the rhythm, if you can say it you can play it.

Exactly! Spot on thoughts from Patrik - rhythm is like any other musical phrase - if you can memorize it, it means it's already inside you but before that, my suggestion would be to become friends with the rhythmic subdivisions - eight notes, quarter notes, 16th notes, triplets and the like. You will be encountering these notations/ names almost everywhere and instead of running away from them, why not embrace them and see what they really are about? Our very own Ben Higgins did a great lesson emphasizing on rhythmic subdivisions for beginners and I recommend it to you -> https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/Picking-Hand-Basics/

Please try it and tell me if things are a bit more clear

Cosmin

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[liveOASISforever]

Thanks everyone for there help

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[Ben Higgins]

Hi, there !

I always find it easier to grasp the timing by hearing something. I can never really understand the timing by looking at the tab. Tab tells me where to play things but I always come back to listening to it again and again to understand where that riff or that licks falls in the beat.

If it is a solo it's a lot trickier, usually. What I do is listen out for the strongest musical lines (phrases) and attempt to place them exactly like they sound in the song. If I can get them in the right place then, as long as I've learned everything else, I can fit the rest of it around those strongest phrases.

Just listen out for certain nots that you know fall in a certain place and then you can get everything else placed around it

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[Gabriel Leopardi]

Hi mate, you already received great feedback about this. As everybody said, the secret here is hearing, and also singing the melodies that you have to play. If you do this, you will incorporate the melody into your mind and it will be easier to transpose it to your guitar. Start with really short sections and then continue with longer parts.

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