Practice with a metronome?
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Ofcorse, personally I think that practice without metronome is a waste of practice. Do you mate?
Never have and never will
I have never practised with a metronome and I don't think I ever will.
I suppose if someone has issues with timing it might be a good thing so you can teach yourself how to play and stay in time with a beat, especially if you aspire to play in an ensemble scenario. But only until the ability to keep time has been cracked, then I think it is best to wean yourself off using it at all.
In general, I think if someone practises ALL the time to a metronome, they may rely on it too much and if the occasion came about where they had to play a solo piano piece, for example, they would be totally out of their depth.
If you always play to a metronome, you aren't allowing your innate time-keeping to develop naturally as it should, this may be detrimental to your playing in the future.
Of course, this is only my opinion on the matter, and may obviously not be the case with everyone.
(By the way, my opinion isn't directed at anyone in particular, I just think I would sound terribly pretentious if I wrote, "If ONE always plays to a metronome...", etc)
I have never practised with a metronome and I don't think I ever will.
I suppose if someone has issues with timing it might be a good thing so you can teach yourself how to play and stay in time with a beat, especially if you aspire to play in an ensemble scenario. But only until the ability to keep time has been cracked, then I think it is best to wean yourself off using it at all.
In general, I think if someone practises ALL the time to a metronome, they may rely on it too much and if the occasion came about where they had to play a solo piano piece, for example, they would be totally out of their depth.
If you always play to a metronome, you aren't allowing your innate time-keeping to develop naturally as it should, this may be detrimental to your playing in the future.
Of course, this is only my opinion on the matter, and may obviously not be the case with everyone.
(By the way, my opinion isn't directed at anyone in particular, I just think I would sound terribly pretentious if I wrote, "If ONE always plays to a metronome...", etc)
to be honest since all my rehearsals now are to a click i actually think my timing is getting better over all but im not practicing to a metronome at home unless im really struggling with a song.
Keysmccarthy, are you against playing to a click track?
Keysmccarthy, are you against playing to a click track?
I'm just learning the keyboard. I've read in my lesson book and other sources that you should practice with a metronome so I do.
My wife has mentioned that some of the time I sound a little robotic. I think that's when I'm learning a new passage in a song to work out the timing. I think I loosen up some after it gets more familiar.......
I do tap my foot as well (and probably bob my head) so once I learn a song, it's foot tap only.
My wife has mentioned that some of the time I sound a little robotic. I think that's when I'm learning a new passage in a song to work out the timing. I think I loosen up some after it gets more familiar.......
I do tap my foot as well (and probably bob my head
) so once I learn a song, it's foot tap only.I have never practised with a metronome and I don't think I ever will.
I suppose if someone has issues with timing it might be a good thing so you can teach yourself how to play and stay in time with a beat, especially if you aspire to play in an ensemble scenario. But only until the ability to keep time has been cracked, then I think it is best to wean yourself off using it at all.
In general, I think if someone practises ALL the time to a metronome, they may rely on it too much and if the occasion came about where they had to play a solo piano piece, for example, they would be totally out of their depth.
If you always play to a metronome, you aren't allowing your innate time-keeping to develop naturally as it should, this may be detrimental to your playing in the future.
Of course, this is only my opinion on the matter, and may obviously not be the case with everyone.
(By the way, my opinion isn't directed at anyone in particular, I just think I would sound terribly pretentious if I wrote, "If ONE always plays to a metronome...", etc)
I respectfully disagree, when I first started learning, my first teacher said always use the metronome. It took a long while for the message to sink in. But I realized that a whole note is a whole note, a quater note is a quarter is note, and so on. By the time I really was putting real time on the guitar (I started playing electric guitar), I was dreaming about metronomes for a couple of weeks.
Now, I'm a little rusty as me and my relationship with the metronome, but in theory, if you get married the metronome you'll eventually develop an inner metronome and get not just to play exactly at the right time, but to even to know how to break the time and insert yourself correctly in it (If you want to break the rules you must know them to know how, why, for what to break them).
Very recently, I was home-recording with some friends, we weren't used to reherse with the metromone, specially the vocalist. It horrilble, It was really a nightmare, the dude didn't know in which bar to enter and when to do a silence, he never used a metronome.
IN MY OPINION, I'd like to make that very clear. The metronome is an essencial tool for every musician. Music, and specially anyone with a semiclassic formation, must be played as perfect as possible and note duration is super important.
Whenever I'm learning a new piece, I use a metronome, until I am able to play the piece through with the correct rhythm. Eventually, people start to develop their own mental or physical (such as foot tapping) sense of rhythm. The metronome is a valuable learning and practice tool, but it shold NOT become a lifeline. I know a few musicians who became so dependent on the metronome, that they NEED one in order to play. Without one, they lose all sense of focus and confidence, and simply can not play.
You need to be comfortable practicing with a metronome, but you also need to be comfortable performing without one. After all, the audience doesn't want to hear "ding-click-click-click, ding-click-click-click" while you're playing Moonlight Sonata.
You need to be comfortable practicing with a metronome, but you also need to be comfortable performing without one. After all, the audience doesn't want to hear "ding-click-click-click, ding-click-click-click" while you're playing Moonlight Sonata.
I've never been much for playing/practicing with a metronome or a click track. If I'm trying to work out a piece and I need the help, I prefer to sequence a short drum beat loop and practice to that to try and "fool" myself into thinking I'm playing with a human instead of a machine. ...well it kinda works for me...
Playing with metronome is useful for developing internal sense of meter, and you have to feel it before and during playing without metronome. So, this is the aim of playing with it.
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I studied under a professor that taught at Berklee for 12 years. He told me he never uses a click or backing track to practice or play. The real charm of live music is that it isn't perfect and the feeling of the individual produces a timing that expresses the interpretation. A metronome is perfect every time and if you listen to most of the music today perfect timing and quantitized midi music is straight up bland. Rubato is a classic technique I learned from my early days and I use it often; it's when you slow or speed up the tempo to create a certain feeling. If you play to a click or backing track it becomes God. It decides the tempo and you are indefinitely playing to it. Any musical situation where there is two or more musicians ideally emulates a sort of conversation where one will listen and one will answer (unless the people you play with are douche bags). Most music with a swing or groove rarely lands on a "whole note" or "quarter note". The most appealing music has riffs that land in between somewhere but obviously lands there consistently to create a groove. A rock bassist always plays a little before the beat to "push" the music. A guitarist might answer that bass line by playing a little bit after the beat to give it a sweet laid back feeling. To put it simply, everyone's off beat because if everyone was on beat that'd be boring! However, if you are a novice to music and need to build an understand of timing and signatures please do because even though playing off beat is acceptable, you still have to be off the right amount. When it comes down to it, a click will confine your creative endeavors in the end, even if you're music doesn't call for time changes. In essence you are practicing to a robot, and no one want's to sounds like a robot. If you seek perfection you will embark on and endless journey to oblivion.
Yup!
ever since "marching band" in school.120bpm MEANT 120 bpm.
Then playing cello in school orchestra.
Thats why so much of the language of written music is devoted to time.
And you wont make first chair if your timing sucks.
Most of us that are furtunate enough to make a living playing
music 5-6 nights a week touring Hotels and Dance clubs are using a klik track
routed to the drummers earphone 95% of the time. Doesn't matter if you're
firing off modules with midi sequences or just playing back recorded WAV backing tracks.
Time is there for a reason, it is part of the canvas.
As important as loudness dynamics.
Thats why theres nothing worse than trying to get the groove if your drummer
isn't trained to a metronome, so that they have that instinct sense of the
bpm drilled into their playing. Then you can play behind the beat,
or ahead of the beat and the song doesn't speed up or slow down. IMO
excellent bands have ROCK solid timing.
ever since "marching band" in school.120bpm MEANT 120 bpm.
Then playing cello in school orchestra.
Thats why so much of the language of written music is devoted to time.
And you wont make first chair if your timing sucks.
Most of us that are furtunate enough to make a living playing
music 5-6 nights a week touring Hotels and Dance clubs are using a klik track
routed to the drummers earphone 95% of the time. Doesn't matter if you're
firing off modules with midi sequences or just playing back recorded WAV backing tracks.
Time is there for a reason, it is part of the canvas.
As important as loudness dynamics.
Thats why theres nothing worse than trying to get the groove if your drummer
isn't trained to a metronome, so that they have that instinct sense of the
bpm drilled into their playing. Then you can play behind the beat,
or ahead of the beat and the song doesn't speed up or slow down. IMO
excellent bands have ROCK solid timing.
Sometimes I use a metronome, sometimes I don't. I often use various drum tracks also.
Some music has a "swing" and the timing may not synchronize with a metronome. Jamming with other musicians can be like that too.
Some music has a "swing" and the timing may not synchronize with a metronome. Jamming with other musicians can be like that too.
Swing feel
"Swing" is 12/8 over 4/4.or variations thereof.
Or slower at 6/8 over 4/4 or 2/4 etc.metronome perfect,
and all big bands and high school jazz bands have to be dead on.
All the way back to Gershwin tunes, and Glenn Miller.
No drifting in and out of tempo was EVER allowed and they had condutors
to make sure of these things!
How else does anyone think a clarinet 4 example could play
32nd note jazz triplets in their solo's if the tempo (metronome)
was drifting about? LOL!
Playing ahead of the beat, or behind the beat for feel is STILL within the
tempo the drummer is setting. Thats why it's so hard to learn to "groove".
Im not playing at 118 BPM for pocket playing when the drummer is at 120.
LOL!!!
I graduated in HS '92, and Im starting to think
music classes must have changed an awful lot in 20 years!
If I get the odd call from a Union, or an agent to audition for a
stage band tomorrow, I would never get hired if my tempo wan't spot on!
If they say "this is at 98 BPM, they arent screwing around.
And if you star drifting, your gone. they will just say
"You sound good, but you rush everything"
or "you drag everything".
And if I get lucky and get a studio call for extra side money,
you better be on your metronome chops, because thats all there is.
I might have to put down the guitar track, or the KEYS track
for say, a "MACYS' appliance jingle 2 days before the drums are added.
And if they want a triplet feel over 4/4 at 100bpm, youd better be able to play
that way,because they wouldn't hire me if they wanted the stale sound of a
sequencer quantized to 16th note triplets.
And if you think thats odd, Broadway is WAY more strict.Or joining Disney,
and being in one of their theme park house bands 6 nites a week.
Sometimes you're in a 11 piece band in front of 500 -1000 guests
(or more) all playing to a click track.(metronome)
and also on that same metronome is the lighting director, the spotlights,
the FX, and camera operators.
We are all brotheres and sisters as musicians, and my advice for anyone
is always the same, study your theory from the begining , at your own pace,
and practice to a time source, either a CD of your fave songs, or a metronome.
wow! i hope this doesn't sound rude or anything...
"Swing" is 12/8 over 4/4.or variations thereof.
Or slower at 6/8 over 4/4 or 2/4 etc.metronome perfect,
and all big bands and high school jazz bands have to be dead on.
All the way back to Gershwin tunes, and Glenn Miller.
No drifting in and out of tempo was EVER allowed and they had condutors
to make sure of these things!
How else does anyone think a clarinet 4 example could play
32nd note jazz triplets in their solo's if the tempo (metronome)
was drifting about? LOL!
Playing ahead of the beat, or behind the beat for feel is STILL within the
tempo the drummer is setting. Thats why it's so hard to learn to "groove".
Im not playing at 118 BPM for pocket playing when the drummer is at 120.
LOL!!!
I graduated in HS '92, and Im starting to think
music classes must have changed an awful lot in 20 years!
If I get the odd call from a Union, or an agent to audition for a
stage band tomorrow, I would never get hired if my tempo wan't spot on!
If they say "this is at 98 BPM, they arent screwing around.
And if you star drifting, your gone. they will just say
"You sound good, but you rush everything"
or "you drag everything".
And if I get lucky and get a studio call for extra side money,
you better be on your metronome chops, because thats all there is.
I might have to put down the guitar track, or the KEYS track
for say, a "MACYS' appliance jingle 2 days before the drums are added.
And if they want a triplet feel over 4/4 at 100bpm, youd better be able to play
that way,because they wouldn't hire me if they wanted the stale sound of a
sequencer quantized to 16th note triplets.
And if you think thats odd, Broadway is WAY more strict.Or joining Disney,
and being in one of their theme park house bands 6 nites a week.
Sometimes you're in a 11 piece band in front of 500 -1000 guests
(or more) all playing to a click track.(metronome)
and also on that same metronome is the lighting director, the spotlights,
the FX, and camera operators.
We are all brotheres and sisters as musicians, and my advice for anyone
is always the same, study your theory from the begining , at your own pace,
and practice to a time source, either a CD of your fave songs, or a metronome.
wow! i hope this doesn't sound rude or anything...
Kirkwood you've said it all.
Spot on! I can't more agree. NO WAY you can get drifting on your own pace in a band or orchestra as you said 'not in the past and neither today'.
Haha can you imagine a band of let's say 5 musicians each playing their own tempo or sliding in and out in timing? Let alone a Big Band or a classical orchestra of 48 musicians or more. The conductor is here the 'metronome' and you better watch him/her or you're out on the street.
If someone thinks they can do what they like, they will not be on stage for a long time (if ever).
Yes a soloist can do, to a certain extend, a bit of time-sliding for that extra bit of swing or mood but he/she has to be back on the dot very quickly.
Thanks for you extensive and educational piece.
Regards
DickR
BTW YeaDoIt, a drum track has the same effect as a metronome, it doesn't vary in tempo (not by itself that is).
Spot on! I can't more agree. NO WAY you can get drifting on your own pace in a band or orchestra as you said 'not in the past and neither today'.
Haha can you imagine a band of let's say 5 musicians each playing their own tempo or sliding in and out in timing? Let alone a Big Band or a classical orchestra of 48 musicians or more. The conductor is here the 'metronome' and you better watch him/her or you're out on the street.
If someone thinks they can do what they like, they will not be on stage for a long time (if ever).
Yes a soloist can do, to a certain extend, a bit of time-sliding for that extra bit of swing or mood but he/she has to be back on the dot very quickly.
Thanks for you extensive and educational piece.
Regards
DickR
BTW YeaDoIt, a drum track has the same effect as a metronome, it doesn't vary in tempo (not by itself that is).
Emma84 hit it on the nose. A metronome is a great training tool.
A professor at Berklee had to learn timing somehow, although he probably would not use one now. Music should have a good feel, and it can do so within timing. If you read notation,then you understand about scored timing changes. Once you have a good sense of timing, then the metronome isn't something you might use very frequently, but still can be helpful as a reference on occasion.
I've run across many musicians who do not have an accurate sense of time, and that may be a reflection on poor teaching/learning practices when they started out.
A good sense of timing will make it easy to play with, or without, a click track.
I've seen drummers in the studio who have the hardest time with the click, and
I am thankful that I don't find it any problem. I think I partly owe that to early training with the metronome , plus working many years with a drummer who has an "internal atomic clock" ....lol Don
A professor at Berklee had to learn timing somehow, although he probably would not use one now. Music should have a good feel, and it can do so within timing. If you read notation,then you understand about scored timing changes. Once you have a good sense of timing, then the metronome isn't something you might use very frequently, but still can be helpful as a reference on occasion.
I've run across many musicians who do not have an accurate sense of time, and that may be a reflection on poor teaching/learning practices when they started out.
A good sense of timing will make it easy to play with, or without, a click track.
I've seen drummers in the studio who have the hardest time with the click, and
I am thankful that I don't find it any problem. I think I partly owe that to early training with the metronome , plus working many years with a drummer who has an "internal atomic clock" ....lol Don