| Have you ever listened to your favorite guitar player | | | | "Back-beat" rhythms. |
| or other musician and found that you are totally | | | | 3. Set the beat on "1 and 3" for Classical or Reggae. |
| overwhelmed by their sense of rhythm or groove? | | | | 4. When practicing triplet groupings like 3/4, 6/8 or 12/8 |
| Human beings are not born with "perfect time" or | | | | set the metronome beat to eighth notes. |
| "internal clocks". All musicians must and will spend | | | | 5. To practice speeding up and slowing down...record |
| much time practicing with a metronome, a drum | | | | the metronome doing this and practice to the play |
| machine or drum machine software to develop and | | | | back of your recording. |
| perfect this necessary skill. Musicians have to learn to | | | | 6. After a while, you will know when you are right on |
| keep steady time in spite of their emotional and mental | | | | the beat of the metronome because you will get the |
| states which fluctuate constantly. So, daily practice | | | | sensation of not hearing the metronome while you |
| with a metronome will help you master all styles of | | | | play! Essentially, your notes are replacing the |
| music at any tempo. | | | | metronome beats. This will happen but requires much |
| Gone are the days of the pendulum-style metronome. | | | | patience/practice to achieve. Alternately, practice |
| In our digital age, you can purchase a metronome with | | | | playing behind, ahead and against the beat of the |
| a modest, built-in tuner that is the size of a credit card! | | | | metronome. |
| Also, drum machines are a great way to practice as | | | | 7. Create your own play-alongs by recording the |
| long as you can program them really well or the | | | | changes to your favorite songs in a way that the |
| factory preset rhythms may be sufficient for your | | | | metronome can be heard clearly along with the chord |
| needs. Just make sure the tempos are steady! Also, | | | | changes. |
| some metronomes/drum machines can handle odd | | | | Be creative when you practice with a metronome. |
| meters. | | | | Remember, practice within the comfort range of your |
| Most musicians are unaware of the various ways to | | | | abilities but also use the metronome to practice |
| use the metronome to simulate the "feel" of a | | | | extremely slow and fast passages. Everyone will |
| drummer or rhythm section. Here are the most | | | | experience at least one performance in their lives |
| common ways to use the metronome effectively: | | | | where they just felt like tempo was a real problem for |
| | | | them. Maybe you will rush the rhythm section or drag |
| 1. Set the beat for each quarter note for Latin, Funk, or | | | | the beat. Practice the extremes so that when you are |
| Rock styles | | | | in live performance you will be prepared for absolutely |
| 2. Set the beat on "2 and 4" to simulate the way a | | | | anything! |
| drummer hits the snare or hi-hat for Swing or | | | | |