Keeping Time

one wing

I found this it's a free on line metronome

http://www.pure-tone.com/guitar_tuner_metronome_chord_finder/cyberbeat_free_online_metronome.html

hope that helps

hilch

First, I can keep time for some songs, playing along with the CD or a tab but playing alone after practicing with the CD..........the whole rhythm is like......forgotten. How do I make it stick?

OWA, all you can do is practice your songs until you can play them in your sleep. Wish I had an easier answer for you. Keep at it, it'll come.

Here's another online metronome for you:

http://www.worldguitar.com/metronome.html

Dan

Thanks all. Though the metronomes don't really help. The reason I don't have one is because I hate them. I can't count with them. Especially once 16th and 32nd notes are involved. Plus I can't focus on it and my playing.

So how do I speed up my playing for that solo? I seem to have it a wall with it.

Divide the solo into groups of about eight notes. Work on each group until you can blaze through it, then string the groups together.

Divide the solo into groups of about eight notes. Work on each group until you can blaze through it, then string the groups together.

Or even groups of four notes, especially if they are sixteenth notes. Sometimes breaking it down one beat at a time can help a lot.

When you string them together, take it slowly and methodically. Say you've got a lead line with sixteen sixteenth notes in one measure. Group them into sets of 4:

Beat 1 (first four notes)

Beat 2 (next four notes)

Beat 3

Beat 4

First, get the phrase of "Beat 1" down. Then the phrase of "Beat 2." Then practice playing "Beat 1" and "Beat 2" in sequence. You may find you have to slow down a little until you get the transistion from the first group to the second group smoothly.

Then work on "Beat 3" by itself. When you're happy with it, add it to the others, playing "Beat 1" Beat 2" and "Beat 3" in sequence until you're comfortable.

Repeat the last step with "Beat 4" and you're set.

It's important to note that, while working it out at a slower pace, pay attention to the fingering. See if there are persistent stumbling blocks and work those out - note by note if necessary.

It may seem dull but you're getting your fingers to do what you want them to do. After that, it's a matter of repetition.

Hope this helps.

Peace

Divide the solo into groups of about eight notes. Work on each group until you can blaze through it, then string the groups together.

Or even groups of four notes, especially if they are sixteenth notes. Sometimes breaking it down one beat at a time can help a lot.

When you string them together, take it slowly and methodically. Say you've got a lead line with sixteen sixteenth notes in one measure. Group them into sets of 4:

Beat 1 (first four notes)

Beat 2 (next four notes)

Beat 3

Beat 4

First, get the phrase of "Beat 1" down. Then the phrase of "Beat 2." Then practice playing "Beat 1" and "Beat 2" in sequence. You may find you have to slow down a little until you get the transistion from the first group to the second group smoothly.

Then work on "Beat 3" by itself. When you're happy with it, add it to the others, playing "Beat 1" Beat 2" and "Beat 3" in sequence until you're comfortable.

Repeat the last step with "Beat 4" and you're set.

It's important to note that, while working it out at a slower pace, pay attention to the fingering. See if there are persistent stumbling blocks and work those out - note by note if necessary.

It may seem dull but you're getting your fingers to do what you want them to do. After that, it's a matter of repetition.

Hope this helps.

Peace

I should have said that :oops: I sometimes even break it down to 2 notes.

Wow! That helps a lot! Thank you.

For 6/8 time, would I group 16th notes into groups of 2 and 32nd notes into groups of 4?

In most 6/8 tunes you'll match the beat better if you play in groups of 3 or 6.

In general, you go by the top number - if it's 2, 3, 4, or 5 you break into 2s and 4s; 6, 9, 12, or 15 you go with 3s and 6s.

Not sure if you are still looking for suggestions OWA, but I was wondering if you are alternate picking? I thought you had said you didn't like alternate picking, but I could easily be thinking of some one else. Well, playing fast solos is where alternate picking comes into play.

If you already got it all figured/if you are already using alternate picking...uh, my bad.

IF you are using alternate picking and you still can't play it fast enough, you may want to try simple drills. Consistantly picking a single string at a fast rate, tremelo picking, will help you increase your speed. Once you can do this, practice going to different notes while doing the tremelo picking... Van Halen's Eruption really helped me with this, there is a certain part where he plays a cool melody line (High E String -12-16-19-17-16-17-14-16-12-14 <play those single notes and you should recognize the part I'm talking about)
Once you can do that, try doing the chromatic scale with the tremelo picking...

Really, most of the speed is not in the picking, it is in your left hand. Work on playing without picking the strings, and just using pull offs. Go through scales shapes this way (the standard pentatonic box works fine, or the chromatic scale)

I HOPE that helps a little, I'm trying to recall how I became able to play relativley fast. OH! I just rememberd: 9th grade math class: Tapping ...taping? my fingers onto the desk. Yes.

Put your hand on the table, with your wrist touching it. Bring your pinky finger tip down, then your ring, middle, pointer, in order. You want to be able to do this quickly, making sure your finger tips don't get too far off the table, you want them as low as possible. Now, do it in reverse order (this should be the harder part) pointer, middle, ring, pinky...Same deal. Make it go really FAST. You can practice this on your guitar too, but this is good for when you are in class and you aren't paying attention anyways, and you want to annoy the people around you.

Now that I look like a nut job....

Taso

That whole thing of only learning a couple notes at a time actually works! I've learn the first half of it, the part containing the sixteenth notes. The thirty second notes are being evil though.

Taso, thanks for your suggestion. Oddly enough, with the exception of a couple power chords, the whole solo is on one string, the Low E string and the string is played open with the exception of two notes so it is the picking hand that's giving me the most trouble. I might just have to slow it down even more.

Also, my guitar needs a setup so the action right now is high. Could that affect my speed?

Without question. The lower the action, the easier it is to play fast.

What song is this OWA?

The song is What I Always Wanted by Kittie. The part I'm having the most trouble on is:

D|------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------|
F|------------------------------------|
C|--3----4----------------------------|
G|--3----4----------------------------|
C|--3----4----0--0--0--0--1--1--0--0--|

The two power chords are 16th notes and the rest are 32nd notes.

Hi angel

I don't know the song but are you sure that does it really involve 1/32 notes? From the best of my knowledge 99,99% of songs are based on eight or sixteen notes, maybe some really fast death metal or ultra-progressive include 1/32 notes. Maybe it is sixteen notes played at a very high bpm: i must check some records but also Slayer use sixteen notes only. Secondarily, if you're right, 1/32 rests are very difficult to count even at slow speed, so don't you think it would be better to learn some easier tune and assure that you can play it alongside the cd? I also love metal and I would like to learn a few Iron Maiden numbers but except for a couple of their ballads whic are based upon first position chords, until now I've played mostly classic pop/rock songs because I'm not able to play power chords or extremly complex rhytmhs like in most of Maiden numbers....Of course when I will totally confident I'll go back to metal...

Matteo

I'm classically trained on the Piano - and 1/32 notes are VERY hard to play. You can't count them - You just feel it.
Try counting the 8 beats like 1 and a 2 and a and playing inbetween... Does that make sense?