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Playing to a metronome
I never used to use a metronome, but since the general consensus is that it is necessary for learning, I got an app for my phone.
It always seems that I play too fast on songs I know well. Also some songs have 3/4 time, and I get messed up trying to match my first beat to the metronome. Should I set it differently for 3/4? Whatever I do, I am always out of sync, and I don’t know how to get in sync. What am I doing wrong?
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3 Replies
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To get in sync with 3/4 time (or any time signature) you need to count yourself in. So with the metronome going, say out loud 1,2,3 1,2,3 …. Then at some point when you get to a 1 you start playing on that beat and you should then be in sync.
Metronomes take practice, just like the guitar. I will often just count with the metronome without my guitar just to get use to internalizing the beat.
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Thanks, Moose! That’s kind of what I started thinking after I posted my question. But I still lose my place a little, and I don’t feel that I’ve changed tempo but that the metronome has (of course it hasn’t). So yeah, practice! This should help me with play-alongs and backing tracks as well. Tony says it’s an important skill, so I need to work on this.
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Yes, as he said counting in is helpful. That metronome is a hard mistress, but that is why it helps us improve. I’ve been using one more often to prepare myself to play with others in a band setting which is one of my goals for 2025.
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