Using my metronome
- Thread starter tonewhore
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Drew
Forum MVP
Yes. Here's the basic idea:
A metronome is calibrated to have a quarter note beat - when you set it at 120bpm, every four clicks are a measure. So, if you want to play a string of quarter notes, play one note per click. Half notes, one note every other click. 8th notes, two notes a click. 16th notes, four (most people do picking drills at 16th notes, so if you hear someone talking about playing such-and-such at 180bpm, unless they don't know how to read a metronome or are being intentionally misleading, they
re talking 16ths).
There are other subdivisions - 8th note triplets are an evenly spaced three notes every click (three notes in the space straight 8ths would take 2), 16th note triplets would be six (again, three notes in the space you'd normally have 2), and there's no reason you couldn't get into odd groupings - for example, you could play 16ths in a 5:4 grouping, playing 5 even notes in the space you'd normally play 4.
For now, though, start basic until you get the hang of it, practicing even 8th notes and even 16ths. You can get crazier afterwards (for example, one fun drill is to start off with a slow click, playing a quarter note repeated run, then smoothly doubling up to an 8th note motif (2 per click), then up to 8th triplets (3 per click), then straight 16ths, then 5:4, then sextuplets (6 notes per click), then 7:4 16ths, then 32nds (8 notes per click) and then gradually back down. It's a cool way to get used to moving between different note groupings while holding a groove.
Hope some of this helps,
-D
A metronome is calibrated to have a quarter note beat - when you set it at 120bpm, every four clicks are a measure. So, if you want to play a string of quarter notes, play one note per click. Half notes, one note every other click. 8th notes, two notes a click. 16th notes, four (most people do picking drills at 16th notes, so if you hear someone talking about playing such-and-such at 180bpm, unless they don't know how to read a metronome or are being intentionally misleading, they
re talking 16ths).
There are other subdivisions - 8th note triplets are an evenly spaced three notes every click (three notes in the space straight 8ths would take 2), 16th note triplets would be six (again, three notes in the space you'd normally have 2), and there's no reason you couldn't get into odd groupings - for example, you could play 16ths in a 5:4 grouping, playing 5 even notes in the space you'd normally play 4.
For now, though, start basic until you get the hang of it, practicing even 8th notes and even 16ths. You can get crazier afterwards (for example, one fun drill is to start off with a slow click, playing a quarter note repeated run, then smoothly doubling up to an 8th note motif (2 per click), then up to 8th triplets (3 per click), then straight 16ths, then 5:4, then sextuplets (6 notes per click), then 7:4 16ths, then 32nds (8 notes per click) and then gradually back down. It's a cool way to get used to moving between different note groupings while holding a groove.
Hope some of this helps,
-D
JJ Rodriguez
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You know what sucks? Doing quarter note triplets to a metronome.
Vince
Contributor
JJ Rodriguez said:
Here's a neat trick, pretend it's duple meter.
What I mean by that, is think about 6/8 time. 6/8 time is actually an illusion. There's really only 2 notes of emphasis in 6/8 time (hence why it's called duple meter). You're basically playing completely in triplets.
1 2 3 4 5 6 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | etc.
If you slow the metronome down and pretend it's in 2/4 time (2 beats per measure), it'll make it a lot easier to play triplets because your mind will be thinking you're playing in 6/8 time.
Does that make sense or do I need to clarify? If I didn't know theory, that'd be horribly confusing to me.
Hm. I coulda swore it was a compound meter, cause its You accent the first in 3 8th Notes. The fact that you're making it accent every 3 notes instead of every two or four makes it non duple.. right?desertdweller said:
Vince
Contributor
There's 2 accents per measure making it duple meter, but you're right, 6/8 is also compound. It's both.
From http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/textd/Duplemeter.html .......
A rhythmic pattern with the measure being divisible by two. This includes simple double rhythm such as 2/2, 4/4, but also such compound rhythms as 6/8.
From http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/textd/Duplemeter.html .......
A rhythmic pattern with the measure being divisible by two. This includes simple double rhythm such as 2/2, 4/4, but also such compound rhythms as 6/8.
Vince
Contributor
So did it make sense to anyone besides Ken?
makes sense...but now my brain hurts...
not to hijack, but cool avatar Tonewhore
not to hijack, but cool avatar Tonewhore
