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  #1  
Old 01-11-2013, 03:56 AM
Calluma11 Calluma11 is offline
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Default Dont underestimate the metronome..

Hi all

Countless times i've seen on the forum users telling newbies to use a metronome when practicing..
Well I'd say i have pretty good time, not perfect- but then again who is? I can keep a pretty constant tempo, and my band mate is the same.. individually. When we're together we fluctuate, somewhat slightly, but still enough for a musicians ear to notice. So last night we decided to have a try with a metronome - WOW. Huge improvement with consistancy.

I mentioned we were decent at time keeping alone. I think that when you play with someone else, ie 2+ people, your own interpretation of time is different (if only by 1/2 bpm) and things start to clash. The more people the more clashing.
Having a third party time keeper works wonders and, like pretty much everyone else on here, i too highly recommend a metronome.

EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE NOW


Callum
(A bit wordy, i know- apologies)
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Last edited by Calluma11; 01-11-2013 at 03:57 AM. Reason: typo
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  #2  
Old 01-11-2013, 04:29 AM
wcap wcap is offline
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This past summer when my family and I were preparing some pieces for a performance my daughter made an ultimatum with me..... she was going to refuse to sing Freight Train with me if I didn't play my accompaniment and fancy guitar solos for that piece over and over and over again with a metronome, really slowly (lots slower than we intended to perform it) to get me out of the habit of speeding it up and going too fast.

It was painful to do at first, but it worked.

I need to get out the metronome more often.
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  #3  
Old 01-11-2013, 06:24 AM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is offline
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The trouble with metronomes is they always slow down!
Seriously, I have a tendency to speed up, but it differes depening on with whom I'm playing.

Therecare no issues with my fourpiece, or my trio, but last night I played dobro for a chap with whom In used to play and recorded an album, and foud myself speeding up again.

I know it irritates him and it isn't intentional, but somehow I seem to get no signals of his rhythm from him.

Another chap I was playing with last night - 2 x 20 minutes spots - no issuies whatsoever.

Funny thing.
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Old 01-11-2013, 06:37 AM
billder99 billder99 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Calluma11 View Post
...When we're together we fluctuate, somewhat slightly, but still enough for a musicians ear to notice. So last night we decided to have a try with a metronome - WOW. Huge improvement with consistancy.
EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE NOW
Hi Callum,

Did you do this in a live setting or in practice? if a live setting, what type of metronome did you use? Visual (blinking light) or are you using in-ear monitor, or other?

BD
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Old 01-11-2013, 06:47 AM
mc1 mc1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Calluma11 View Post
...Countless times...
good one!


Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
The trouble with metronomes is they always slow down!
...
the thing with metronomes is the crystals go stale if not used frequently, and that throws off the accuracy. what you need to do is use it regularly and you'll notice it doesn't slow down so much.
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Old 01-11-2013, 06:51 AM
budglo budglo is offline
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I am a big believer in the metronome. Its the only way you can honestly know if you are really in time when you practice.
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Old 01-11-2013, 07:26 AM
Glen. Glen. is offline
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I find that as I approach the crescendo to a chorus or 'signature riff' of a song the bloody metronome always slows down...
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Old 01-11-2013, 08:01 AM
Diamond Dave Diamond Dave is offline
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This is why God invented drummers.
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Old 01-11-2013, 08:11 AM
Calluma11 Calluma11 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by billder99 View Post
Hi Callum,

Did you do this in a live setting or in practice? if a live setting, what type of metronome did you use? Visual (blinking light) or are you using in-ear monitor, or other?

BD
Just in practice - used an online sound click. I have had an idea (untested..mind) that you could find a digital one and plug it into the mixer. Send to the monitor(s) pre, and mute the channel post. As i say entirely untested and may not work-i dont even have a mixer to try it on :P

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Originally Posted by mc1 View Post
good one!
Unintentional pun!!

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Originally Posted by budglo View Post
I am a big believer in the metronome. Its the only way you can honestly know if you are really in time when you practice.
Now i've 'seen the light' i agree. Help so much when we're both doing our own things (rather than just one of us strum and one solo)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Glen. View Post
I find that as I approach the crescendo to a chorus or 'signature riff' of a song the bloody metronome always slows down...
Fortunately my bandmate does most of the fancy stuff so this isnt so much of a problem for me
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  #10  
Old 01-11-2013, 08:53 AM
Legolas1971 Legolas1971 is offline
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I do alot of recording and playing in time is crucial. The coolest
thing about playing to a click is that once you become
comfortable you can start playing a tad behind the beat. This
makes the track move nicely gives that in the pocket feel...
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  #11  
Old 01-11-2013, 11:40 AM
Brant0086 Brant0086 is offline
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I find that a metronome not only helps you with timing, but creativity as well. I have gotten bored with playing covers, but couldn't find anything "interesting" to write, so I cranked up the metronome. A time base can inspire the imagination as well as help with one's discipline.


Bryant
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  #12  
Old 01-11-2013, 11:57 AM
Landru Landru is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mc1 View Post

the thing with metronomes is the crystals go stale if not used frequently, and that throws off the accuracy. what you need to do is use it regularly and you'll notice it doesn't slow down so much.
He was inferring that he speeds up naturally - a joke.
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  #13  
Old 01-11-2013, 01:18 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Calluma11 View Post
I mentioned we were decent at time keeping alone. I think that when you play with someone else, ie 2+ people, your own interpretation of time is different (if only by 1/2 bpm) and things start to clash.
I'm not sure. I find this explanation less likely than what to me at least would seem a simpler and more straightforward one: When you play alone, you THINK you're in time even when you're not. you don't notice the fluctuations because there is no reference point. As soon as you add another player to the mix, things clash because both of them are slightly out of time.

I notice that whenever I play alone, my timing feels perfect even though I know it's not. As soon as I add the metronome, the metronome tells me that I'm off, sometimes more, sometimes less.
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  #14  
Old 01-11-2013, 02:25 PM
mc1 mc1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Landru View Post
He was inferring that he speeds up naturally - a joke.
while i'm not even sure if metronomes have a crystal, i'm convinced that if he uses it regularly it won't slow down on him so much.

in other words, i'm one step ahead of you on this one, landru.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertTwang View Post
I'm not sure. I find this explanation less likely than what to me at least would seem a simpler and more straightforward one: When you play alone, you THINK you're in time even when you're not. you don't notice the fluctuations because there is no reference point. As soon as you add another player to the mix, things clash because both of them are slightly out of time.

I notice that whenever I play alone, my timing feels perfect even though I know it's not. As soon as I add the metronome, the metronome tells me that I'm off, sometimes more, sometimes less.
that thought crossed my mind as well. the good news is that they were both able to sync to the metronome.
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  #15  
Old 01-11-2013, 02:34 PM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Diamond Dave View Post
This is why God invented drummers.
...or drum machines or click tracks...

- Glenn
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