Accuracy in every note

mrekoj · #1 04-03-2011, 11:27 PM

I have problem with accuracy in notes falling in the 8 and 16th beat.

I realized this after recording with reaper.
With the gridlines set to 1/8 or 1/16, can tell that my playing is not on the beat.

Straight 8th or quarter notes seem fine though.

Is there any particular exercise that I can do to improve this ?

LowBC · #2 04-03-2011, 11:30 PM

Quality time spent with a metronome/drum machine will help get your hands in shape.

good luck!

mrekoj · #3 04-04-2011, 01:55 AM

hmm.. i'm practicing with a metronome for the past few months.
maybe the time spent in front of a computer while practicing is not quality time.

Gaza · #4 04-04-2011, 02:21 AM

Know what you mean.
Are you ahead or behind the beat?

cassanova · #5 04-04-2011, 02:38 AM

Just keep at it with the metronome. Also, record your individual practice sessions. This will not only allow you to hear the mistakes you make, but help you to mark your progression.

mrekoj · #6 04-04-2011, 02:44 AM

@gaza sometimes i'm rushing and sometimes i'm behind the beat, maybe i really need to practice more.... but this occurs more on the 8th and 16th notes, less on the quarter, is this common ?

@cassanova yes i'm currently recording what i'm playing using reaper and discovered this problem, may not be that obvious when playing along with songs.
it's pretty obvious when viewing the recorded 'data' with gridline enabled.

StoOdin · #7 04-04-2011, 03:00 AM

Don't look at the gridline. Listen to what you have recorded. If you have groove, you will be consistently ahead or behind the grid in some notes. This is just like the difference between strictly sequenced drums and a real drummer.
But if like you say you are sometimes ahead and sometimes behind, working with a metronome is the way.

JimmyM · #8 04-04-2011, 03:40 AM

grids...bah! whatever happened to feeling and internalizing the tempo? let me ask you...does it sound good? if so, don't worry about the grids. if it doesn't, then you need to work on internalizing the tempo in your head. a metronome will only go so far...it can't make you have good tempo. it can only show you where the beat is. work on getting the tempo together without it. practice slowly but keep the tempo right. once you master it at a slow speed, gradually increase your speed until you can play it at tempo. but don't move on until you've mastered it at a slower tempo.

mrekoj · #9 04-04-2011, 03:54 AM

lol, thanks for the advices.
maybe i'm thinking too technical where not on the 'lines' = wrong.
seems like it's not a hard and fast rule

however, it doesn't sounds that good too

Joe Nerve · #10 04-04-2011, 04:05 AM

was going to say this as a joke, but just threalized it might actully be true. are you sure you're not experiencing any latency on your computer? I at one time was driving myself insane, thinking I just couldn't get the groove I wanted into a bunch of things I was trying to record (I'd never match things to a grid though, just using my ears). I then discovered it had nothing to do with me. An almost indetectible amount of latency was destroying all my efforts. Good news about that though was I think it trained me to be even more in the pocket because my continued efforts had me really really working hard, to achieve the impossible.

If that's not your problem, then what Jimmy said. Consistent practice with a metronome, at slow speeds. To me that's like tuning my inner clock. I make a meditation out of it.

mrekoj · #11 04-04-2011, 04:47 AM

that's cool, i wish i have similar problem like u

i guess i just need to stick to the metronome more.
thanks for all the advices

JimmyM · #12 04-04-2011, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrekoj

lol, thanks for the advices.
maybe i'm thinking too technical where not on the 'lines' = wrong.
seems like it's not a hard and fast rule

however, it doesn't sounds that good too

the sounding good thing is a hard and fast rule

if it doesn't sound good, that's a whole different ballgame.

svtb15 · #13 04-04-2011, 11:39 AM

If you want dead on perfect accurate with no feel . you might as well just sequence it with a synth and quantize it....
Even Will Lee is not perfect....time is very important.. but it has to have feel and it has to groove....and that does not always mean perfect...

Russell L · #14 04-04-2011, 01:21 PM

Put any real music recorded by guys without grids, etc. and none of it will fit a grid, but it will still sound good. Plus, it's easy to get a tad behind or ahead playing bass. Maybe it's the big strings and larger motions required (?), so getting behind late is natural, and getting ahead natural because of trying to make up for it. So it seems sometimes to me, anyways. Real music isn't perfect. If it feels good and sounds good, what more could you want?