Use that Metronome!

iceshaft07 · #1 07-27-2007, 06:34 AM

I can't believe how much of a difference it makes when playing. It is very much worth it as much as I hate it.

I was playing with my rhythm guitarist yesterday and one of our songs was dead-on. And then theres that special tingly feeling you get when you know it is dead on.

I can't beleiieve how much better it sounds when every note is right.

I will be practicing with a metronome now. Sometimes it is just something like that that makes you realize why something you dread is good.

And now I never thought I would say that!

One other thing I would like to mention too; When I was just playing with rhythm, I found it was much better to play obeying my foot than to try to hear it out. It sounded so much better!

DocBop · #2 07-27-2007, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceshaft07

I can't believe how much of a difference it makes when playing. It is very much worth it as much as I hate it.

I was playing with my rhythm guitarist yesterday and one of our songs was dead-on. And then theres that special tingly feeling you get when you know it is dead on.

I can't beleiieve how much better it sounds when every note is right.

I will be practicing with a metronome now. Sometimes it is just something like that that makes you realize why something you dread is good.

And now I never thought I would say that!

One other thing I would like to mention too; When I was just playing with rhythm, I found it was much better to play obeying my foot than to try to hear it out. It sounded so much better!

The more you use a metronome the more comfortable you will become with it. Once time is good then set the metronome to only click on 2 and 4 like a backbeat. That really gets time your internal metronome together.

If you can groove, rock, swing to a metronome then you can with anyone.

Erick Lam · #3 07-27-2007, 08:55 AM

Try putting the click on the "and" of each beat. When you're comfortable doing that, slow it down a lot and put the click on each 2nd and 4th 16th notes. Very tricky at first but no rythm will stop you after that.

elpelotero · #4 07-27-2007, 09:02 AM

so you were playing with the metronome at the same time along with your guitarist, or you practiced with a metronome then went to play with the guitarist?

rpsands · #5 07-27-2007, 11:45 AM

I likes playing with a click on the one.

basskopf · #6 08-01-2007, 03:58 PM

it's funny, i just was at a bass clinic a few weeks ago with jeff berlin, who some would argue is one of the greatest living bassists today. he recommended to everyone to THROW THE METRONOME OUT because you don't need it. he maintains using one will make you too mechanical, causing you to lose natural feeling and sound. the great lives bands certainly don't use metronomes. jeff maintains that just about everyone has the potential for great timekeeping.

so i have stopped using a metronome. however, my timekeeping has steadily improved over the last year. my big secret is that i regularly (= every day) play along to my ipod to whatever song i am working on just now. so i get a feel for the way the music was played or intended to be played originally.

so much for playing devil's advocate!

and also, don't forget about drum machines. yes, of course they MAY serve a similar purpose to a metronome, but because together with the bass you become a complete rhythm section, it is a very different (and more natural) feeling. i have a boss dr-880, which i don't really use too much, but if you need one, this is the mercedes of them all.