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Playing with the Metronome
I started using the Metronome with playing songs. WOW! I was way off on timing! Songs, I thought I was playing fast enough, weren’t even close to the speed. Then ‘Killing me Softly’ I was playing fast enough to be in a hip hop band. My small win for the day, is finally breaking down and using a metronome with my playing.
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13 Replies
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Nice Win there @Cadgirl , it was so hard or rather I should say “so challenging” for me to play with the metronome at first but it really was a game changer for my progress. Now, not challenging at all in fact it is a great comfort and a tool that helps me move from where I am to where I want to go.
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I’m getting close to my year in TAC and I have used the metronome off and on in all that time. I finally said to myself. JUST DO IT!! I play, and replay and replay to even out my playing (even if I had to set the BPM down). I really think it does help. Thanks
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Excellent @Cadgirl and I’m so pleased for you because I’ve just started using one tonight as well for my repeats of Mondays warm up sessions. Like yourself, I’ve been all over the place but once the metronome was ticking away, everything became so much more exciting, because it lets you know that now, the music that you play is so much more spot on and timing means everything.
You can hit every note and chord perfectly, but if that timing is out, it’s not good. But missing a note occasionally if the timing is spot on, I bet you’ll find that you could hide the odd mistake here and there and anyone without a trained ear probably wouldn’t even know and that’s why I mentioned the word “Excellent”. Really happy for you Cadgirl
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It’s more of a game now. I have to get in X amount of picks before my time runs out. I think i’ll memorize the songs faster this way too. It’s funny you mention the ‘odd mistake’ because sometimes I know i’m not fitting everything in, so I just skip a couple of picks. ha ha ha. Thanks
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Congrats Cadgirl, it really is challenging at first, but once you get the hang of it you realize it is really a good friend.
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Thanks, I really think the metronome is going to help me out. My goal right now is to learn to play at least 10 songs without sheet music. If it’s a strummed song, I want to get the intro down and those little licks going from one chord to another. I really feel as if I’m starting to get a better feel for everything. I think the metronome is going to be a game changer for me.
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Great win @Cadgirl ! I keep trying to use a metronome, but it doesn’t come easy to me. Keep up the great work!
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There are some songs that are just way too fast. I’m concentrating on finger picking. I don’t know how their fingers could possibly fly over the strings like they do. I have to set the metronome down maybe 20 (or more) BPM to be able to get all the picks in. It really seems to be helping me thou. Forcing me to do better.
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Nice win!
My metronome and I have barely been on speaking terms since I got it ~9 months ago. It doesn’t see much sun, living in the drawer.
Seems when I was using it- it was ALL I COULD FOCUS ON- just seemed too distracting to me. Like my brain couldn’t be two places at once.
So– Question– when you are playing away, do you CONCENTRATE on the metronome, or is it turned way down- (volume-wise and “brain-wise” both), and have it kind-of “in the background”- with the music you’re playing being your brain’s MAIN focus?
Sorry about these dumb questions, but I want to bring it into my learning– as you all have done with way more success than I– and maybe it would help me if I could learn “where it was at in your brain”….. right when you are playing.
I have read all thru this thread- twice now. The thing’s always “had my number”, and I want to dust it off and learn how to use it!
(Note- sorry about all the “CAPS”, but when I try to underline or italicize something- it gets all wiggy with weird symbols, etc- anyone else notice this?).
Anyway– great win!— and thanks for any help you all can pass along….
Mark J
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@mkjohnsons .My metronome is on my IPhone. It is a downloadable app for your IPhone called ‘Soundbrenner’. I’m including a website link so you can read about it, but you’d download the app from your IPhone. Copy / paste the address into your browser if the link doesn’t work. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-metronome-by-soundbrenner/id1048954353
What nice is you can set the BPM to what you want and the time signature (example 4/4 time). If it is set for 4/4 time, it will have 4 buttons that will active one at a time. Example BEEP, beep, beep, beep. Also the buttons light up. So the first BEEP has a brighter light than the rest. No I don’t have to watch it, because I can see it start over again out of the corner of my eye. I am using the free app. It’s $4.99 a month if you have money to burn. Stay with free. There is a learning curve but that’s life.
The metronome is a challenge in itself. I had it on my IPhone a good 6 months before I finally started to use it daily, where it was easy to use and I understood what it was doing. It’s on my IPhone. I have my IPhone on me all the time. I also use the stopwatch to time how long I am playing a song. I’m a computer gal so I chart what songs I play and for how long.
I understand the concentration thing. I have to turn the volume way down on mine because it’s too distracting to me. I use the light more than anything. Sometimes, I have to ignore it completely to get through a confusing area of a song too. Good Luck, the metronome is something to get used to. I think everyone has a hard time with it. Good Luck. If you have any questions just post something to me. I’ll get back with you. I attached a copy of the app so you knew what it looked like.
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for some reason the image didn’t load? and it wouldn’t delete. CLick just under the IMG_1023 and it should load.
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Thanks for your reply!
I have an OK I guess metro. Sounds like it has many of the same features as your I-phone setup. I loved your last paragraph especially- and read it about 3 times.
Mine “beeps” too.
I wonder if it would be less confusing to have a “click” kind of sound- or even a “drum” sound- (lighter- not bass-y)- something more natural in a “music-y” way—- and just sound better.
Like Albert says- “a drummer”.
The “beeps” just don’t sound right.
I think I’ll look around and see if there is a metro out there that has various sounds.
Thanks again- Mark J
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After a bit, it is comforting to have a “drummer”.
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