Timing

[jazzbass1962]

Hi

Are there any particular excercises you have used to improve your timing? My timing is pretty good, but there's always room for improvement.
Thanks

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Using a metronome is the key, IMO. Even the most simplistic exercise will make a big difference in your timing if you can play it in perfect synch with a metronome.

[sk8terguy316]

As I said in another thread, I believe that listening to a lot of Funk/RnB will greatly increase your rythmic variety and sense of time.

I also think that you should work with a metrenome. Set it to slow tempos and fast tempos, so you get used to groovin' with everything. I hate the crappy metrenomes are on cheaper keyboards that some people use the ones that go "DING-tick-tick-tick-DING" I think you should just get a good metrenome and set it to beat on the 2 and 4.

[bthiemann80]

Play along w/ a drum machine. I've had an Alesis SR-16 for years and its great to jam along with. Metronomes can get to be a bit monotonous.

[rockwarnick]

download "weird metronome". its free. someone else here suggested it. i think its pretty cool.

[DocBop]

If you want to work on time avoid drum machine they just mask the beat. They are fine for other things, but to work on your internal clock use a metronome. If you feel your timing is good then start using the metronome just clicking on 2 and 4. Get good at that set to just click on 1 so you are just checking in.

Work on doing fills with a metronome. Play a simple groove down the neck for three measures then go up the neck and to a simple fill then drop back in, in time.

Once you get your internal clock going you can hear any steady pulse metronome, broken air conditioner, anything steady and in your head hear grooves, you won't need a drum machine except maybe for recording.

[figuredbass]

Originally Posted by jazzbass1962

Hi

Are there any particular excercises you have used to improve your timing? My timing is pretty good, but there's always room for improvement.
Thanks

+1 to all previous replies suggesting the use of a metronome or drum machine. Though I had always practiced to a metronome a good amount of the time, I asked your question to a drummer friend and colleague many years ago and he gave me one of the best supplemental metronome exercises imaginable. It requires a programmable drum or rhythm machine, though you could also set up the exercise on your computer using a sequencing program or even a notation program like Finale, Sibelius, or Encore:

Using bars of 4/4, program into the drum machine (or computer) four quarter note clicks (or use kick drum, cross-stick sounds, etc.) for two bars, so you have eight consecutive quarter notes. Then leave the next two bars completely BLANK. Loop these four bars. Then play a song, riff, or exercise to this loop and see if when the clicks recur you are still in time! If you get good with this one, try changing the loop to only ONE bar of (4) clicks followed by THREE bars of rest (complete silence) and playing to that. Make sure you also do these at very slow tempos (tempi?) as well because it is typically more difficult to do this slower.

The main benefit is that you are forced to rely less and less on the metronome and keep your own time! It's an excellent timing "reality check."