Working With A Metronome Options

[The Professor]

Metronome and Time Signature Practice

Working with a metronome is one of the best ways to fix any issues we have with timing, rhythm or tempo in the practice room. But, while many of us know that using a metronome is important, we often place the click on the same beat of each bar, or practice with the same time signatures for every exercise in our guitar practice routine.

To help break out of this pattern, here are some of the ways that I like to use a metronome with my students, and in my own practice, in order to break things up in the practice room, as well as work on rhythm and time for as many angles as possible when using a click for any exercise we’re working on.

The next time you are using a metronome in the practice room, try placing the click on one or more of these different beats to see how it changes the way the exercise sounds and feels.


Place the click on all beats of the bar
Place the click on beats 1 and 3 of the bar
Place the click on beats 2 and 4 of the bar
Place the click on the 1st beat only of the bar
Place the click on the 2nd beat only of the bar
Place the click on the 3rd beat only of the bar
Place the click on the 4th beat only of the bar
Place the click on the 1st beat of every second bar
Place the click on the 1st beat of every 4 bars


As you can see, there are many different ways to work with a metronome in the practice room, beyond having it click on every beat of the bar.

You can also try working with different time signatures in the practice room in order to expand your rhythmic workout for any exercise that you are working on.

Here are some of the most common and important time signatures to explore in your guitar practice routine.

2/2 Time
7/4 Time
5/4 Time
4/4 Time
3/4 Time
2/4 Time
9/8 Time
6/8 Time

Working out the same exercise, such as a scale or arpeggio pattern, in multiple time signatures will not only develop your rhythmic control and vocabulary, but it will enhance your ability to use these devices in a practical, musical situation later on.

What do you think about using the metronome in various parts of the bar, or working with different time signatures? Share your thoughts or questions in the comments thread below.

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[PosterBoy]

I'm a fan of working with a metronome more than a drum machine (it gives less information so it makes you work harder) but I'm very guilty of sticking to 8th notes or triplets (depending what I'm working on)

Tomo Fujita is a big fan of working off the 2 & 4 as that helps you groove.

Victor wooten has some good tips on using a metronome that can do random muting of different lengths so it really forces you to internalise timing, he also talked about the idea of the click on different beats too

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[Taka Perry]

I love using a metronome when practicing, especially in the more groove based genre's like funk.

I've never tried doing the clicks on different beats. Sounds like a great thing to do, I shall try it out!

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[The Professor]

Yeah, it's amazing how just pushing the click around to different parts of the bar can really open things up in the practice room. Have fun with those exercises!

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[Vulpine]

hey thanks professor , is there a video where you can see different time signatures being played

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[The Professor]

No problem, check some of these videos out.


https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/search/Odd+time+signature/

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[Taka Perry]

Tool is famous for its irregular time signatures and time signature changes. I'd learn a few of their songs, that really helped me get the grasp of those tricky time signatures.

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[The Professor]

For sure, Tool is a great band to study when working on odd time signatures, and songs that have more than one time signature, sometimes in the same riff!

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