Anyone here use a metronome all the time when playing alone?

[charvelstrat81]

I was wondering if there are any players here that are really disciplined with using a metronome?
Right now i feel like my technique has peaked and i am not happy with my execution
when playing really fast. I want every note to be dead on!
I really like the percussive and accurate lines of paul gilbert.
Looking to get the cleanness of gilbert,lane,dimeola,etc when playing real fast lines.
Does a metronome really improve your picking technique and coordination of the two hands?
also what in combination is real good to do/use when trying to get technique to this level?
Here is a real good example of what i am after,
listen to the playing at the start of this,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTq3YtZ5H7U

 

[James_E]

I do when practicing drums. For guitar I mostly am just learning cover songs. I should work more on my technique.

 

[James_E]

I should add.. the way I use it. Here is an approximation of how I use it for drumming but this applies to any instrument I think.

I use "Tempo" on my iPhone. Let's say I want to get something to 140bpm 16th notes eventually.

I play around a bit with Tempo to find the bpm where it is just starting to get a bit tough to keep it (say a phrase of drumming or guitar) going CLEANLY for 30 seconds or so, repeatedly. Let's say that speed is 105bpm and my goal for TODAY is to try get to 110bpm.

Each "phrase" below should only be a bar or two.

1. Set metronome for 54 bpm. I play it at 54bpm for ONE run through the phrase then DOUBLE pace (ie 108bpm) for ONE run through the phrase. Repeat this for about 5 minutes.
2. Now set metronome for 105 bpm and play the phrase over and over again for about 5 minutes.
3. Repeat #1, with metronome at 55. If it's too hard, go back a bpm or two.
4. Repeat #2 at 110bpm. If too hard, dial it back to 108.
5. Repeat for multiple phrases.
6. Now try it with 2 phrases put together.. you are slowly building up the speed of each phrase but now try chaining two of them together.. then try 3.. then 4 etc until you have the whole piece done.

Do this over and over again. Each day you may not meet the daily speed increase goal, but over weeks... it'll creep up. Don't do huge bpm increases in one day and play fast but sloppy. The closer you get to the higher speeds, the more you'll feel each individual bpm increase, so be deliberate and increase slower as you get closer to your higher speed goal.

Remember, you have to be able to pull of a phrase over and over again at speed if you really want to say you have it nailed and could do it live. It's not enough to do it ONCE at a target speed. If a song requires you to play it at 140bpm, I would set your practice goal to 150 or 155 so that 140 seems relatively easy when pulling it off live.

 

[TrueTone500]

I use drum tracks from my Korg i30.

 

[mooncobra]

it helps, figure out what bpm you can play at really clean. go from there. jump up 3 bpm, then go back 2. it takes a while this way, but it works. its gradual and time consuming, but in 6 months from now there will be a dramatic difference. record your fastest, but CLEANEST playing now, then compare the difference in 6 months. you will be pleasantly surprised. I am sure there are a lot of other metronome techniques guys use also.

 

['63-Strat]

Yeah it's about accuracy, not speed, which will come as a result of accuracy. Force yourself to play in time and accurately at slow speeds in a relaxed way before increasing bpm.

 

[Shawn Lutz]

Yes it does improve your playing, not only speed in your technique but also improve your overall sense of rhythm.

It sounds like how I was the first time I wanted to play Yngwie, I already had VH and Randy style close and played a bunch of their stuff. I hit the ground running when I started playing and had Eruption down in my first year. I cheated a lot as my speed was in my left hand. When Yngwie came out you I was exposed bigtime as cannot cheat with hammer ons and pull offs on Yngwies stuff. I had to work on my pickhand...lots of wood-shedding with a metronome. I played scales, arpeggios in 3-4-5-6-8 note sequences in every position on the neck. Starting slow and working my way up in bbm's. IT tool a long time to be able to played "Far beyond the sun" but I got there. Throughout the years since if I had time away from the instrument or if I felt my technique fading I break out the metronome and work on it...it comes back fairly quick. I try to use it a few times a week and work out odd shit that I need to get down better.

 

[bish0p34]

I use one every day. It's more of a drum beat than a click, but I do about an hour a day with it. When I learn something that's tricky I always work the hard parts out. I always start out much slower, and bump up in 3 to 5 bpm increments. It can be very boring and drawn out, but the results are very noticeable, and it will have a huge impact on phrasing, speed, and technique.

 

[guitup too]

Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.

 

[charvelstrat81]

Great replies! So it looks like i better get to work with one.
I have a korg pandora PX4R that has drum beats with different tempo's/time sigs i can use to make it more interesting than just a tick tock of the metronome
That is what drove me away last time i attempted using a metronome,it got insanely monotonous but i understand it is something you have to suffer through in order to pick like a paul gilbert who i think has one of the best right hands in the biz and his two hands are very coordinated

 

[LowDesertSludge]

EZ drummer products are a metronome on Bull steroids. I highly recommend them. I feel I get a better jamming practice with a drummer. Bass not so much.

 

[Bob Savage]

I use a variable speed metronome that senses when I'm sucking and slows down but speeds up for the easy parts.

 

[Oblivion DC]

I used to use one a lot back when I was really woodshedding but I don't have the time to just sit and drill anymore.

 

[shredhead7]

Like others I use a drum machine (well Fruity Loops that I've programmed different beats into). I use it for a combo of working drills, to playing solos over. If you're looking to build your speed, start with doing Yngwie style 16th note, single string descending/ascending runs. On the high e string in Em:
17 20 19 17 slide 15 19 17 15 slide 14 17 15 14 slide 12 15 14 12 etc. The inverse: 8 5 7 8 slide 10 7 8 10 slide 12 8 10 12 etc.

Also, on the lower strings through the g string, those guys tend to palm mute the strings, to help the notes pop and make them tight. Think of playing fast on an acoustic guitar, you naturally mute the strings, even on the high b and e. Use that technique on your electric and you'll find that you'll play more articulately.

 

[Beyond Black]

I use a variable speed metronome that senses when I'm sucking and slows down but speeds up for the easy parts.