Some of the most important note values you need to know are as follows: And developing a sense for the feel of each of these note divisions is important. But those 4 beats can be made up from a whole range of different note divisions. As I covered in more detail here, in a 4/4 time signature, there are 4 beats per bar, or measure. It is almost impossible to develop a strong sense of timing without properly understanding different note divisions. It will become more challenging the more you reduce the BPM. Stick at this level until you can play each note in time. Once you have that nailed, reduce the BPM by a couple of beats and repeat the exercise. You should aim to play each note perfectly in sync with the click or beep of your metronome. Start at a level where you can comfortably play your scales in time, using quarter notes. Not only does it help to improve your timing it also helps you consolidate the shapes of the pentatonic scale all over your guitar. This is often how I warm up, and it serves two purposes. One nice exercise to develop your timing is to play all of the positions of the minor pentatonic scale up and down your neck and in a variety of different keys, with a metronome. But when you play slowly, it is very obvious if your timing is off. If you are playing quickly and are slightly ahead or behind the click, it isn’t always that obvious, because the notes are close together. When you set your metronome at 60 BPM or less, there is a lot of space between each note. Set the metronome at a low BPM and play along to it as slowly as possible. But if you want to improve your timing, you need to do the opposite. This is a great way to improve speed and technique. They set it on a high tempo, and then play scales and licks, trying to push the BPM a little higher every week. When blues and rock guitarists do use a metronome, they often use it to try and play faster. Once you have your metronome, one of the best ways to use it to improve your timing, is to play along to it as slowly as possible. It is free, has all of the features that I need, and there is a great dashboard where you can track your practice time and set yourself daily goals. They all perform basically the same function, but typically electronic metronomes have additional features that allow you to change the time signature, as well as alter the sound of the metronome’s click, amongst other things. The type of metronome that you use is totally up to you. You can even buy watches that pulse on your wrist to help keep you in time! Metronomes come in a whole range of different styles – from the more traditional mechanical metronomes, to electronic metronomes, to apps. Almost all of the exercises here require a metronome, so if you don’t have one, I would recommend you add one to your setup. You can use a metronome in innumerable different ways, and it really is an essential tool if you want to work on your timing. Typically most metronomes allow you to go down to a tempo as low as around 30 BPM, and all the way up to around 210 BPM. If you set it at 120 BPM, it will click twice every second. So as an easy example, if you set a metronome at 60 BPM, it will click or beep once every second. This click is measured in beats per minute (BPM) and you can adjust this up or down. If you haven’t yet come across one – a metronome is a device that creates an audible click or beep at regular intervals, which you control. And I think this is a missed opportunity, because they are a brilliant tool to help you improve your timing. Metronomes are used a lot in the education of classical musicians, but much less frequently for blues and rock guitarists. I had the pleasure of being acquainted with my first metronome at the age of 12, when I was struggling to learn the violin. So to save you going through the same embarrassment and to help you in your quest to become a better blues guitarist, here are my top 7 tips to improve your timing: 1.) Use A Metronome My playing has since improved dramatically. And it wasn’t until I was started jamming with other musicians and realised that my playing was a bit sloppy, that I gave it the proper attention it deserved. I spent all of my time focusing on other elements of my playing. We focus on learning new songs and different scales, whilst all of the time neglecting one of the fundamental elements of music. Yet despite its importance, it is a skill that most guitarists do very little to develop. And it is a skill that all of the best blue guitarists have in common. It is what separates average guitarists from those that are truly exceptional. One of the key ways to develop as a blues guitarist is to improve your timing.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |