How do I improve the guitar players time?
 

Hi.

So I have started jamming with this kid. He's a great guitar player. He's only 15 but he nails the SRV and Hendrix stuff. He's great.

The only thing is that I see a lot of issues with time. He rushes too much and has some tempo problems.

What is the best way I can make him more 'Rhythmically aware'?

Thanks.

Practice with metronome.

+1 to practicing w/ a metronome.

If it's just the two of you jamming, play against a drum track (Band in a Box or Drums on Demand are quick and easy, but any decent audio or MIDI loops will do.)

Also, when he rehearses with a band, turn him down. Even during his leads, he should be hearing the pulse set by drums and bass, not just closing his ears to everything else and hanging fire.

Tell him to take some drum lessons....worked for me.

Have him practice with a metro at a slower speed, have him tap his foot and count aloud his rests.

Make him learn to play bass;)

Tell him to drop playing like his guitar hero's and develop his own style and voice with the guitar.

+10 on the metronome thing.

just make sure to phrase it in a friendly and constructive way. "i think you're an amazing guitarist, but sometimes it's hard to jam with you because you rush a lot. have you ever tried playing with a metronome? when i started playing with a metronome, it brought my playing to a whole new level"

someone told me something like that when i was about 19, and i thank them every time i pick up the bass (even 7 years later)

How do I improve the guitar players time?

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Replace him ... maybe ...

seriously some people just don't have good timing ... even drummers

But the OP's guitarist is only 15. I agree that he's not "a great guitarist" if he's rushing, but sometimes you have to praise learners for their potential and what they're doing well now, even as you steer them to attend to weaker areas of their playing.

At any rate, that's what the older musicians did for me when I was coming up. And I'm grateful they didn't just say, "You suck. Quit."

When I got back to playing music about 11 years ago my first band back a classic rock band brought in a young 18 year old kid for lead guitar. The kid was good very good with super fast licks from speed metal to jazz and he knew theory.

The problem was after a few practices with him was his timing and use of tastefulness in songs. A simple rock song was hard for him since he would over play or be ahead or behind. After a few practices and a talk he said he was out that he needed to woodshed on simple repetitive rock songs.

Just ended a band, one year of my musical life gone, with a rhythm challenged guitarist. Bough him a Boss metronome and had him keep it on all day while he was on his computer, etc. Didn't improve his timing much, but it made me feel like I tried.

Kids that rush don't get it yet. They just want to shred. Be patient, make suggestions and team up with the drummer to pound out the one's and three's (or 2 and 4's if backbeat).

if you ( bass player ) and your drummer put all the beat in tha pocket and stick it there the guitar player wont have much choice but to follow you

Maybe he just needs to hear it for himself. I've said this a few times on forums, but when you're rehearsing, or even just jamming, record it. Then sit down and listen to it with him, and more than likely he'll hear for himself what he's doing wrong.

I joined my first band (as a guitarist) when I was about 16 with musicians who were more experienced than I. We always made tapes, and I would go home and have a listen; find out what I was doing right and where I was going wrong. I can't tell you how much it helped me. Later, where I started a band with younger musos, I did the same thing with them. If I had a criticism of someone, I could simply play it to them to demonstrate what I meant. Recordings don't lie, after all.

Best of luck,
Mark

+1 Excellent advice. He has a computer, right? Have him put on the headphones and practice with the on-line metronome. I always use this when I practice.

Take him aside and record him along a beat and bass already in time
Play it back to him ,then use elastic audio (for Protools) to align his guitar in time and let him ear the difference.
Be diplomatic ,has to come from his desire to improve

I've met tons of guitar players that have no sense of time without drums backing them. just seemed like par for the course for me. Kinda bugs me, I seem to keep time very well.

If only it were that simple...

The kid needs to "grow ears", i.e., listen to the rhythm section and fit himself into that rather than just listening to what he's doing.

I would also suspect he's invested nearly 100% of his bedroom practice time trying to learn the NOTES of his heros' solos but paying little to no attention to the rhythm work, dynamics, feel and phrasing that made those guys legends and not just really good lead guitarists. Those things usually only come with age and experience in band environments.

BTW if it's any consolation, I've played with guitarists 4 times this kid's age that have been playing for 40+ years and they still don't have good time even when their rhythm section is solid. Some guys have it, some guys don't.

Own the time.