Using a Drum Machine for a metronome?

[Joe Beamish]

Originally Posted by westview

There are plenty of pre recorded tracks and patterns in different genres.
You can easily change the tempo speeds faster or slower.
I use these in place of a metronome.
You can also program it in more detail with Toms, Snare, Kick, close or open Hat, etc.
Especially when personalizing or recording. That's where a learning curve comes in.

Sold! I think it sounds pretty good on Youtube.

[westview]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Hi Westview,

I also own an Alesis SR 16. It's an excellent drum machine for what I feel is a moderate price.

When I am recording I use EZDrummer as a plug-in in my DAW. I have learned how to be quick about making use of that program.

- Glenn

Hi Glenn,
The EZDrummer program does look to be really efficient.
I mostly use the Alesis through a PA system.
It has good drum sounds for practice and jamming.
Mine's the old 16bit version from 1999.

[Blueser100]

I just recently got the Beat Buddy mini 2 and it's a ton of fun, makes practicing sound like music! Very easy to use right out of the box.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by westview

Hi Glenn,
The EZDrummer program does look to be really efficient.
I mostly use the Alesis through a PA system.
It has good drum sounds for practice and jamming.
Mine's the old 16bit version from 1999.

Yep; that's what I have, too. Great samples in that inexpensive drum machine!

Mine is also on top of my rack of gear, connected to my PA system in my studio. When I am jamming around with an electric guitar, it works great and sounds great.

- Glenn

[dnf777]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

The Boss DR-01S might be fun to use for practicing to:

!

I find this lots of fun and useful. Pretty cool acoustic geared percussion tones too. So easy, a caveman like me can use it.

[JonPR]

The problem with a drum machine is it's too tempting to program an interesting pattern or groove. That can certainly make it more fun to play to - which is a good thing if it keeps you playing! - but it's too much of a crutch. The more information it's giving you, the less value it has as a trainer.

But I agree that the beep or click of a metronome can get incredibly annoying (dissuading you from practising with one at all), and a sampled drum or hi-hat sound is much better. But - assuming the idea is to train your sense of time-keeping - you should just use a single sound on the beat. I'd suggest a kick drum sound, or maybe a hi-hat or sidestick. (A full snare sound on every beat could be too aggressive, as unnatural and irritating as that metronome beep.)

Metronome training involves reducing the information the more you get used to following the sound.

So by all means start with a full drum groove to play along with. As you get comfortable with that (never slipping ahead or behind the beat), reduce it to one sound on the beat. Again, get completely comfortable with that - at various tempos - before cutting it in half, so you now only hear something on beat 1 and 3, or on 2 and 4.
This is metronome boot camp! As you can imagine, you can make it progressively tougher, as you get used to each stage. How about one click every 4 beats? Can you stay in time with that?

[Andyrondack]

Originally Posted by Bob from Brooklyn

A drum machine is a metronome with possibilities.

A drum machine is a metronome with aspirations.

[Rudy4]

If the beep or click of a Metronome is a bit too mechanical, my Snark metronome has alternative sounds including hand claps, barking dogs, and even (get ready for this...) crickets.

I have to confess I did place it under the bed to have a bit of fun at my wife's expense.

It was cold sleeping with the dog on the porch.

[Joe Beamish]

For practice, I’m super OK with a simple metronomic click. Usually I count in for the 2 and the 4 and just play. If I’m feeling feisty, I lag behind a little on the back end of the click. But for the most part, I’m using the metronome to keep myself honest in learning new passages that aren’t easy for me. (I have the habit of rushing these, and not staying in a groove.)

But I do like drum machines a lot for goofing around and exploring grooves.

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

If the beep or click of a Metronome is a bit too mechanical, my Snark metronome has alternative sounds including hand claps, barking dogs, and even (get ready for this...) crickets.

I have to confess I did place it under the bed to have a bit of fun at my wife's expense.

It was cold sleeping with the dog on the porch.

Also there for when you want to play a Buddy Holly tune.

[Andyrondack]

Something to be wary of when using a metronome is which beat you are stressing. Left to make it's own choice metronomes will stress the first beat of the bar.
I spent a long time using a metronome to gradually increase the speed when practicing Stefan Grossman's version of Dallas Rag.
Playing with the metronome something never quite sounded right to me but when I switched it off my playing sounded more like Grossman's recording just a bit slower.

Eventually the penny dropped that without the sound of the machine I was copying the pulse of the recording and other versions posted on you tube where beats 2&4 of the bar are stressed but with the metronome everything was getting somewhat confused as to which beat was supposed to be louder.