What to play with a metronome

[Chili]

i no theres a topic on this but i couldnt find it anywhere, but all i wanted to know is, is it better to play a whole bunch of stuff while practicing with a metronome, i practice with one half an hour a day, and i've been practing le freak for 15 minutes on nearly the slowest beat and the stomp solo for 15 minutes on nearly the slowest beat, and i was thinking i should get these two near perfect before i change to practicing 2 differant things until i get them perfect and so on, is this an effective way or just a waste of time? should i stick to doin it like this?

[Erick Lam]

Not sure what you're saying but what I'm saying is:

Always play with a metronome. Always. Easy stuff at tempo, slow stuff... always use it.

[mkettner]

Agree, Metronomes and Drum Machines will develop you into a way better player

[tZer]

The question "What to play with a metronome?" is easily answered with "everything you practice".

I would like to offer practice suggestions:

** All exercises should be done with a metronome **

1. Spend the first 10 to 15 minutes warming up. Practicing anything 'cold' is not very productive - imagine going to a gym and jumping right into a full-scale workout without stretching... more harm then good comes from that.

Stretch your fingers, rotate your wrists, stretch your arms... Warm up with scales, arpeggios and right-hand (if you are right handed) exercises - RH exercises usually include 1/8, 1/16, triplets, etc. as you are running your scales and arpeggios. Basically get the muscles loose, warm and ready to go. Use your metronome, set it at a good start tempo, run scales, arpeggios, up tempo a little, do again... Keep going until you feel your scales and arpeggios flowing easily.

2. Crack open your first 'project' (Le Chic) - identify the part or parts you want to master - set the metronome to a speed (slow is better!) that allows you to easily do the part and run it. Run it until you get it without errors. Do not up the tempo until you get it error-free. When you get it error-free, up the tempo a bit. Keep this process up until you bump into the tempo that stumps you. At that point, back off the tempo a bit, work it some more, make a note of the tempo you are at and put that piece down until tomorrow. - This should take anywhere from 15 - 30 minutes.

Remember, if you cannot play it well slow, you cannot play it well fast. So master it slow - then slowly increase your speed. You will be amazed at how quickly (measured in days, not hours) you will see improvement. Monday you were at 90 bpm without errors... Friday you are at 120 bpm error-free.

3. if you have another 'project piece' open it and do the same thing. Again, another 15 to 30 minutes.

You can see that a reasonable practice session on 2 or more pieces of music can take up to an hour+ with warming up and productive work.

If you are only going to give it 1/2 hour, then focus on getting warmed up and one of your pieces. The next day focus on warming up and the other piece. Even though it feels like you should be touching everything each practice, if you don't have the time to dedicate to doing it right, you are not really helping yourself. Splitting up the pieces so that you work on one, one day and the other the next will get you there quicker then if you work on each one, half-assed everyday.

Dig it?

[KJung]

+1 Metronomes are a good thing. If you don't always want to play with one (it can drive you nuts sometimes), it's ALWAYS good to 'check' your playing with a metronome. It's quite shocking sometimes to work on a fingering, pattern, lick, etc., etc. and think you have it down pretty well, and then play it at various tempo's with a metronome. That can really uncover slop and uneven playing.

We all (or at least those of us with only moderate talent) tend to play some portions of bass lines in better time than others, depending on how the figure lines up with our personal strengths and weaknesses (fingerstrength, fretboard knowledge, etc.). Many times, even if you are playing a pattern in time in general, there will still be certain portions that can rush or drag. Playing the total bass line totally in time is one of the main differences IMO between 'bad', 'good' and 'great' players.

So, don't be a slave to the metronome... but at the least, when you think you have something down, use it as a test.

K

[ZachAttack]

I disagree, i think everything should be played with either a metronome, or a drum machine. I perfer the ladder, because its more lively. From the begining of my practice session to the end, i never turn it off.
I'd also say its a good idea to record yourself when you practice, Tape Dosnt Lie and you can find errors and weaknesses you need to work on.

[mkettner]

Originally Posted by ZachAttack

I disagree, i think everything should be played with either a metronome, or a drum machine. I perfer the ladder, because its more lively. From the begining of my practice session to the end, i never turn it off.
I'd also say its a good idea to record yourself when you practice, Tape Dosnt Lie and you can find errors and weaknesses you need to work on.

I use my Zoom bass pedal for the drum machine as it has one built in. It also has a connection that allows you to connect to your computer and record your self there. You are right recording yourself does not lie.

[steveb98]

The reason to use a metronome and I would say for most everything is not only to check yourself, but to develop a feel for steady time. To develop a feel for where the beats are within a measure.

To help this find some easy quarter note exercises to read. If you don't read then a simple bass line that is just quarter notes. Then practice it with the metronome at a fast pace AND a slow pace. Also when using a metronome keep track of the fastest and slowest tempo you can play things at correctly. That way you can see your progress.

[Poop-Loops]

I always devote time to playing without a metronome, going as slow as I need to in order to get the most efficient muscle movement. In other words, I don't try to keep to a tempo, if I am playing with bad technique. I will turn the metronome off, go through the song a few times without it, but to make sure I do it right.

I might stop once I get more advanced, but for now, I still find myself tensing the wrong muscles or too hard, so I need to consciously relax.

I think he's asking whether he should play something perfect before moving the tempo up.

Yes, always make sure you can play perfect at the current tempo before moving it up.

[adisu]

@ tZer -Thanks for sharing your way.
At what tempo do you suggest I should play the warming up scales and arppegio???

Right now I'm working on the Bach G major prelude that pattituci play in his instruction DVD so I don't use a metronom for this (it ruins the all feel for the part) , except that everything is done with metronome.

I must say i'm a bit impatience for the slow tempos and run directly to the fast, it's wrong I know and I should fix it.

Salute
Adi.

[Jimbo]

rhythms.

quater notes, eigth notes etc, start real slow and work your way up.

then syncopated rhythms

but the best advice has already been stated: practice everything you would normally pracitce with a metronome

[Boplicity]

I like metronomes and used them a lot in my early bass years. But once I bought a drum machine with many different "feels" such as various Latino and swing sounds, for example, I really grew to prefer the drum machine for its versatility.

[cassanova]

Originally Posted by Boplicity

I like metronomes and used them a lot in my early bass years. But once I bought a drum machine with many different "feels" such as various Latino and swing sounds, for example, I really grew to prefer the drum machine for its versatility.

I use a drum machine myself when I pracice. Just for the versatility reasons. One thing I do want to add to this if I may.

The one drawback to the drum machine over the metronome, is that a drum machine can give you too much rhythm. I read that in an Ed Friedland book. He said it can have so much rhythm that it could lull you into a false sense of security. He's kinda got a point on that.

[adisu]

Originally Posted by cassanova

I use a drum machine myself when I pracice. Just for the versatility reasons. One thing I do want to add to this if I may.

The one drawback to the drum machine over the metronome, is that a drum machine can give you too much rhythm. I read that in an Ed Friedland book. He said it can have so much rhythm that it could lull you into a false sense of security. He's kinda got a point on that.

yes I think that the main advantage of metronome over drum machine is that it trains you to be on time also when you play alone, for example a 30 second stop in a certain song that only the bassline alone plays or a solo with no rythmic accompaniment just harmony background.
When you play together with a drum machine you have all the 1/16 and 1/8 hi hats rhythm but when you use a metronome you have only the 1/4 beats which simulate your counting with the leg at the situation I mentioned before.

Salute
Adi.

[Jimbo]

you know what i tried last night...practicing with my electronic tabla machine that i usually practice sitar with.

it was kind of cool...different, but cool. it was hard to not want to start jammin ragas on bass!

[slybass3000]

Hey,the metronome is your best friend!

You want to practice Le Freak? Use the metronome different ways.

First,this is a Disco tune,so,use all 8ths notes on the metronome. So double the speed you are playing at. Use different tempos. The slower the better.

Use it in quater notes.

Then put it on 2 & 4 and groove the damn thing!

You can do that with everything you play or practice like scales and arpeggios.

SB