Practicing with a metronome

[Bassguy1]

I've heard it many times over that the best way to practice with a bass when by yourself is to use a metronome to get the right rhythm nailed down. This is especially true when slapping. I found a free on-line version that will come in handy when rehearsing at home or one the road with your PC handy. Enjoy!

http://www.metronomeonline.com/

[Sufenta]

That is great! Thank you for the link.

[WovenGraphite]

Shouldn't this be in the Technique forum?

[manicbassman]

no, slapping is technique, fingerstyle is technique... use of a metronome is general instruction.

Technique [BG] (13 Viewing)
Bass guitar technique discussions

General Instruction [BG] (5 Viewing)
General questions regarding bass playing, theory, and bass lessons.

I consider use of the metronome to be general

[Chili]

thx for posting, i practiced with a metronome a year ago or something for a month, but found it really boring, but i just had a jam with this metonome and play a few bass lines, and it wasnt was boring as i remembered lol, its actually rewarding once you can play a bass line in time at many differant tempos, i'm werking on my right and left hand technique alot lately by running up and down scales up and down the neck, should i do this with a metronome from now on just to kep me in rythem?

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Chili

i'm werking on my right and left hand technique alot lately by running up and down scales up and down the neck, should i do this with a metronome from now on just to kep me in rythem?

A couple suggestions...
First keep a practice journal and log your metronome times. That helps see the progress you're making.

Second, once you get the scales down over two octaves or from lowest to highest available on your bass stop just running them up and down, you'll get bored again and your playing will start sounding like scales. Once you have the scale under your finger then start playing the scale in intervals up and down the neck. 3rd's, 4th's, and more if you like but get 3rd's and 4th's up and down the neck. Also start playing scale sequences like 1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5, and so on. Do four note sequences too. Doing intevals and sequences are more musical and you are moving your fingers in musical ways like when gigging. Later make up patterns of notes and play those.

Also record a loop of the chord that goes with the scale you are practicing. Then practice your scale with the chord looping. Play the scale slow so you can start hearing/learning the sound of the scale notes against the chord. This will develop your ear. Do this with every scale you learn. Once you have learned the fingering then start learning the sound of the chord and the scale and which notes you like and don't like. First you develop your technique to play the scale. Then develop you ear for the scale against chord(s) and which notes you like and don't like. Then you work on your creativity using the scale to make music against those chords.

[santucci218]

wish something was online that looped chords!

[Chili]

Originally Posted by DocBop

A couple suggestions...
First keep a practice journal and log your metronome times. That helps see the progress you're making.

Second, once you get the scales down over two octaves or from lowest to highest available on your bass stop just running them up and down, you'll get bored again and your playing will start sounding like scales. Once you have the scale under your finger then start playing the scale in intervals up and down the neck. 3rd's, 4th's, and more if you like but get 3rd's and 4th's up and down the neck. Also start playing scale sequences like 1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5, and so on. Do four note sequences too. Doing intevals and sequences are more musical and you are moving your fingers in musical ways like when gigging. Later make up patterns of notes and play those.

Also record a loop of the chord that goes with the scale you are practicing. Then practice your scale with the chord looping. Play the scale slow so you can start hearing/learning the sound of the scale notes against the chord. This will develop your ear. Do this with every scale you learn. Once you have learned the fingering then start learning the sound of the chord and the scale and which notes you like and don't like. First you develop your technique to play the scale. Then develop you ear for the scale against chord(s) and which notes you like and don't like. Then you work on your creativity using the scale to make music against those chords.

ok thx for that, but i'm not 100% sure what intervals are.

[maryhyphenbeth]

DocBop (Steve), that's a really cool suggestion. I'm gonna keep note of your post for my future reference. Thanks!

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Chili

ok thx for that, but i'm not 100% sure what intervals are.

The term gets overloaded. An interval is distance between to notes. Take a C major scale. The distance between C and E is a major 3rd. E is third degree of the C major scale. One more same C major scale the interval between C and F is a perfect 4th. F is the 4th degree of C major scale. You should get a book on basic theory it should explain all the intervals and types of intervals like major, minor, perfect, diminished, augmented.

Now playing a scale in intervals means playing the note of the scale then that interval above it from the scale. So a C major scale in 3rd's would be. C-E, D-F, E-G, F-A, G-B, A-C. Now because they are from the C major scale some are major 3rd and other minor 3rd's, the theory book will help on understanding that. Doing this helps your understanding of the shapes of on the fretboard which as your ear develops will help in playing what you hear.

One more example since I mentioned 4ths a C scale in 4ths is C-F, D-G, E-A, F-B, G-C, A-D, B-E, C-F. As the intervals get bigger you need to use a scale fingering for more than one octace.

Now for a nice twist on playing intervals I go up on an interval then down the next one thru the scale. This makes them into more of a pattern and a bit more musical. So for the C major scale in 3rds it would be C-E, F-D, E-G, A-D, G-B, C-A,B-D, E-C. I especially like doing this pattern in 4th's.

Practicing scales in intervals is very important practice. It helps your technique especially when you do them over two or more octaves. It is good for your ear to get the sound of that interval drilled in. In fact sing along with to really help your ear. Especially doing scales in 3rd you start to really hearing/understanding the harmonized major scale.

[Chili]

Originally Posted by DocBop

The term gets overloaded. An interval is distance between to notes. Take a C major scale. The distance between C and E is a major 3rd. E is third degree of the C major scale. One more same C major scale the interval between C and F is a perfect 4th. F is the 4th degree of C major scale. You should get a book on basic theory it should explain all the intervals and types of intervals like major, minor, perfect, diminished, augmented.

Now playing a scale in intervals means playing the note of the scale then that interval above it from the scale. So a C major scale in 3rd's would be. C-E, D-F, E-G, F-A, G-B, A-C. Now because they are from the C major scale some are major 3rd and other minor 3rd's, the theory book will help on understanding that. Doing this helps your understanding of the shapes of on the fretboard which as your ear develops will help in playing what you hear.

One more example since I mentioned 4ths a C scale in 4ths is C-F, D-G, E-A, F-B, G-C, A-D, B-E, C-F. As the intervals get bigger you need to use a scale fingering for more than one octace.

Now for a nice twist on playing intervals I go up on an interval then down the next one thru the scale. This makes them into more of a pattern and a bit more musical. So for the C major scale in 3rds it would be C-E, F-D, E-G, A-D, G-B, C-A,B-D, E-C. I especially like doing this pattern in 4th's.

Practicing scales in intervals is very important practice. It helps your technique especially when you do them over two or more octaves. It is good for your ear to get the sound of that interval drilled in. In fact sing along with to really help your ear. Especially doing scales in 3rd you start to really hearing/understanding the harmonized major scale.

ok i think i'm starting to unerstand intervals, but i'm still getting confused with the names etc, like, the distance between one note is a semitone or a half step, the distance between 2 notes is a tone or a full step, so basicly those are intervals aswell? when i played the c major scale in 3rds, i'm just giving every note in the major scale a 3rd, some are major 3rds and some are minor 3rds? like d and f is minor 3rd right? so when playing intervals you should always play them with the root then the 3rd, etc, i am on the verge of unserstanding it when i play it i think, but when putting into words i'm confusing my self lol.

so whats the differance between intervals and chords? the only chords i no are, minor, major, major7 and minor 7, would a major 3rd be a chord or an interval? or are all 3rds, 5ths and 4ths etc called intervals? am i just looking at this the wrong way

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Chili

ok i think i'm starting to unerstand intervals, but i'm still getting confused with the names etc, like, the distance between one note is a semitone or a half step, the distance between 2 notes is a tone or a full step, so basicly those are intervals aswell? when i played the c major scale in 3rds, i'm just giving every note in the major scale a 3rd, some are major 3rds and some are minor 3rds? like d and f is minor 3rd right? so when playing intervals you should always play them with the root then the 3rd, etc, i am on the verge of unserstanding it when i play it i think, but when putting into words i'm confusing my self lol.

so whats the differance between intervals and chords? the only chords i no are, minor, major, major7 and minor 7, would a major 3rd be a chord or an interval? or are all 3rds, 5ths and 4ths etc called intervals? am i just looking at this the wrong way

Music like other things the meaning of a word depends on the context it is used. Semitones are another way to measure distance between notes. IMO it used for pure distance between notes with no relationship to scale or key. So C to D is two semitones or a whole step, but in a C major scale it is a interval of a 2nd. C to E is two whole steps and in C major scale interval of a 3rd. So one is measurement of distance other is a relationship back to a note.

As for types of intervals major, minor, perfect, augmented, diminished those are terms as to distance or altered intervals. Again get a theory book for full explanation but simple example. The interval of a 3rd can be major or minor just like chords can. So in C major scale C to E is a major third or two whole steps. But if is was C to Eb then that would be called a minor 3rd or distance of three semitones. (I was brought up using intervals and not used to using semitone terminology so hope I using them right.)

So intervals and chords. Well chords are build using every other note of a scale. So a major triad is the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of a scale. That is also names of the intervals a triad is a root, major 3rd, and perfect 5th. If you want to make that into a Maj7 chord you use the 1, 3, 5, 7 of the major scale. Which also happens to be the Root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, and major 7th intervals of the scale. The theory book your gonna get will explain which intervals are major, minor, or perfect. Then when you flat an interval it becomes minor or diminished or sharp an interval it become augmented. BTW the root of the scale is an interval too for ear training purposes. In a C major scale you play your C root twice that is an interval called a Prime. Then play C root and go up to next higher C that is called an interval of an octave.

Speaking of octaves there are names for intervals over an octave. So in a C major scale C to D is a major 2rd, but if that is above the octave such as 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 or octave then you call it the interval of a 9th. So intervals over an octave are 2nd is a 9th, 3rd is a 10th, 4th is 11th, 6th is a 13th. The 5ths and 7th are still called 5ths and 7ths. The traditional theory lawyers around here can explain why.

So that is the basics on intervals and simple chord construction. All this stuff comes in handy for talking music with others having a common language. Knowing what notes to add to a bass line if you want to play the 9th or 13th in a chord. You learn to play intervals on the bass so when sightreading you spot two notes are a 5th apart you know the fretboard shapes of 5ths hit the note. You transcribe a solo you like you can say I like the way the soloist used a major 6th on that minor chord. Relate to other theory... oh he play a major 6th on a minor chord they are probably using Dorian mode. Lots of way of using this stuff to think and talk music.

I keep saying I have to write shorter replies. Sorry for being so long winded.

[Chili]

np, i'm just glad your trying to help . i have a book, but it uses roman numerals and i think thats what confused things alot more for me.

so basicly, intervals are the distance betweem each note, and all of these are intervals not chords:

Minor 2nd, Major 2nd, minor third, major third, perfect fourth, tritone, perfect fifth, minor sixth, major sixth, minor seventh, major seventh, the octave.

[lfh]

Using a metronome can be boring -- but it can also be fun!

IMHO it's very important to get a metronome with a musical sound. Stay away from those with a synthetic, pitched sound ("bip, bop, bop, bop, bip, ..."), and get one with a percussive sound, e.g. like claves, crossed drumsticks or a cowbell. If the metronome sounds like someone playing, it's more easy to think of the metronome as a buddy with extremely good time.

To work on your internal clock and improve your time keeping skills, set the metronome to click on beat 2 and 4, and groove along with it. Once you master that, let it click on beat 4 only. (If you're shopping for one, get one that gets down to 30 BPM or less for the latter exercise.)

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Chili

np, i'm just glad your trying to help . i have a book, but it uses roman numerals and i think thats what confused things alot more for me.

so basicly, intervals are the distance betweem each note, and all of these are intervals not chords:

Minor 2nd, Major 2nd, minor third, major third, perfect fourth, tritone, perfect fifth, minor sixth, major sixth, minor seventh, major seventh, the octave.

Romanerals tend to get used when talking about harmonized scale or a chord progression. Regular numbers tend to be used when talking about intervals. Also one small point typically intervals are the distance between some root note, but people with use them in other situations. For example I am showing you a bass line and I tell you the next note is a minor 3rd up. In that case we are just talking distance between notes.

I think you got it, just give it a little time to sink in.

[Chili]

it feels good knowing abit theory now lol, modes, intervals, scales etc, i some of this stuff anyway without releasing it, but just one more thing on intervals, just say i'm practicing the intervals of the major scale up and down the kneck, do i always play 2 notes? the root then the 3rd or 5th etc, like say i'm playing the C major scale, i play C then E, D then F etc, until i'm to the high octave, and then go up and down the kneck like that with major and minor scales? also i'm assuming everything has intervals including all the modes right?
also, when i say i'm playing Cmajor 3rd, wheather i'm playing both those notes together or not, is it still an interval, like i wouldnt say i'm playing a Cmajor 3rd chord, i would say i'm playing a C major 3rd interval. and it doesnt matter where i play, the pattern of a C major 3rd and Minor 3rd etc being played anyway on the fretboard will always be that right? a major or minor 3rd etc

[funkydanbass]

There's many ways to use a metronome:

Try setting the metronome at half the tempo to what your practicing and instead of it sounding on 1 and 3, hear it as 2 and 4!! Its a great challenge to maintain the strength of beat 1 on your own.

Set it to beat only on beat 1 of every second bar, etc etc.

I use a metronome at every stage of the learning process, I feel like I 'own' a groove when I can play it relaxed at any tempo