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Thread: Metronome Question...

  1. #1

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    Default Metronome Question...

    Okay. So, I'm wondering. When drumming with a metronome, do we drum to it but able to hear it. Or drum to it and not hear it at all because your in sync. And I need more metronome excersizes. Thanks guys!

  2. #2

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    One beat, the best possible would be to be in synch such that you do not hear much of the metronome at all. If you are hearing the metronome well, then you are playing ahead, or behind the beat. The best exercises to help you get comfortable with a metronome, IMHO, would be sticking (stick control) excercises.
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  3. #3

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    So parradiddles, syncopation, etc. Recently I have been reading Ted Reeds syncopation book. Excersizes such as playing a jazz obstinato or a samba, while reading the book with another limb. But generally would playing out of the syncopation book with my hands improve my timing? And what about footwork? Would reading it with my bass drum foot help?

  4. #4

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    One particular exercise I like to do is have the metronome play only the "1" (whole notes each measure), then play grooves and fills. This will let me know if I have a tendency to speed up or slow down during the measure, at a particular tempo. I turn my metronome up loud enough that I can hear it even when I am in time (I use isolating ear buds).

  5. #5

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    I used one with a past band at practices so it was nothing complex. It made a click but without headphones was pretty much useless. I mainly just watched the light blink.
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  6. #6

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    So overall, if I practice a metronome with my hands would my hands improve with timing? But my feet won't? And that idea with having metronome only on one is a really good idea:D

    Oh, and does the sound of the metronome have to disappear completly when I'm playing over it?

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by One-Beat-At-A-Time- View Post
    So overall, if I practice a metronome with my hands would my hands improve with timing? But my feet won't? And that idea with having metronome only on one is a really good idea:D

    Oh, and does the sound of the metronome have to disappear completly when I'm playing over it?
    Having the metronome "only on 1" is just one particular way of using it to practice fills and grooves. There are countless ways to use a metronome to practice. You can be very creative. Practicing with a metronome is good in general...for hands and feet... no matter if you are practicing rudiments, fills, subdivisions, limb independence... and is invaluable when working on polyrhythms.

    If you want to work your feet, one example would be to do a parididdle, have your right foot play the kick at the same time as your right hand. Start slow and work your way up over time. When you get comfortable with that, move your right hand over to the ride. Then test yourself by starting in a simple groove, then use said parididdle (with kick) as a fill, then go back to the groove... all with the metronome going... record it if you can, play it back and see how you did. If/when that becomes easy, do it again, this time adding your left to open->close the hi-hat on 1/4 notes.

    There are endless ways to develop technique with a metronome. Just try and be creative... search youtube... basically any exercises you can find for developing technique can be accompanied with a metronome. When you find something, try the same thing slower as well as faster... find your weak spots and work on those... speed is not the key... developing muscle memory is... work on one thing in particular at about 75% of your top speed, 15min a day (constant, non stop) for a week and see how fast you progress

    Not hearing the metronome when you play is often referred to as "bury the click". True, if you bury the click you are most likely right on. But personally, I like to turn up the click to hear it even when I am dead on.

    Remember, be creative!! Good luck!!

  8. #8

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    Aw man, you just gave me something to practice for the next 20 years! Thank you! And should I only increase speed when I'm comfortable 150%? and if I'm not burying the click is it a big deal or is that something I should work on when I get used to it? Thanks again man! Life saver

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by One-Beat-At-A-Time- View Post
    Aw man, you just gave me something to practice for the next 20 years! Thank you! And should I only increase speed when I'm comfortable 150%? and if I'm not burying the click is it a big deal or is that something I should work on when I get used to it? Thanks again man! Life saver
    You'll know when it's time to up the BPM's. You need to find a tempo that is as fast as you can play COMFORTABLY (key word!). Make sure you have correct posture, that you are holding the sticks correctly and that you are able to play perfectly in time without straining because it is too fast. Practice at that tempo everyday (I generally stick to one tempo for a week) and then gradually step it up. Move up 3-5 BPM's and if that is comfortable, move up another 3-5 BPM's etc and so forth until you are at your max comfort speed. Rinse and repeat.

    It's not a big deal to bury the click - some people prefer it. I, like a previous poster, like to crank up the click so I can hear it all the time.
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  10. #10
    Larrysperf Guest

    Default Re: Metronome Question...

    Metronome isnt that where they play baseball lol never have used one as have always been told my timing is spot on
    Last edited by Larrysperf; 07-13-2011 at 05:35 AM.

  11. #11

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    Thank you so much. Coordination isn't an issue since I've been playing for a few years, but I've only just started to be trained by a producer, and he tells me to use a metronome.

  12. #12

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    I think Terry Bozzio or some other drummer once said that it's far easier for a tight drummer to play a little sloppy every now and then rather than a sloppy drummer try and play tight. At first it can get damn hard geting used to a metronome (I know, I've been through that initial struggle stage,all us drummers go through it), but once you get used to it, it's your greatest ally in practice and recording.
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  13. #13

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    OBAAT, I think you bring up a good thought. Metronomes are more or less a guide to where your strokes should be fitting into, so without the ability to hear them it's not an effective practice tool. I recommend you use some good headphones so you can hear the thump, bass, click, cowbell, etc sound.
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  14. #14

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    I have seen a great training tool like a sophisticated metronome that also works as practice pad. It will let you know exactly how far off the beat you are or were... ( by recording your strokes) I think it measures to fractions of a second. It was a couple hundred dollars six months ago....I currently use a beeping, moving dot type metronome which I find somewhat helpful but insufficient in that it is hard to see and no place to plug in the headphones. I bring this up because as a beginner I said to myself, what a great idea the concept is of having the machine tell you how far off and when.....mainly since the metronome I did have was more of a burden. Still considering same once I get my act together and can justify the expense.
    Most definitely. As a matter of fact, there will be "NO LIMIT"... just an unending quagmire of musical genius.

  15. #15

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    If any of you guys use a programmable drum machine like what I do (an old Roland R-70), I got told this great trick by Andrew Gander at one time. Program a quarter note cowbell for three bars then leave the fourth bar blank. What you do is then either play all four bars with just time and then see how well your internal clock is....if it's spot on, you would be able to land exactly on the first cowbell when the machine loops back again. Or even better...play a drum fill through the fourth bar and see if you come back in time exactly with the machine. It will really test your counting and control of your adrenaline when playing, believe me.
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

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  16. #16

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    One of my favorites is to set the metronome at a moderate tempo and 3/4 time. I play one measure of sixteenth notes with alternate sticking, one measure with double strokes and one measure with paradiddles. This means that, after 3 measures, you're leading with your left hand for 3 measures and so on.

    The key is to go for very smooth sounding sixteenths so there's no discernible difference in sound between the alternate sticking, double strokes and paradiddles.

  17. #17

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    These excersizes are great! So generally, when practicing with metronome, it improves my timing in my whole body, whether I practice with my feet or hands? And If I say...practice jazz with a metronome, would that help with my timing in general (with other styles such as rock, Latin, Cuban, metal)? Or would havE to practice both? Or does it really matter?

  18. #18

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    For those with a PC or similar, I might recommend 'play along' software such as 'Band in a Box'; I find this more satisfying than a metronome. To each his own, of course, but I'm not that afraid of not being technically exact; I enjoy more playing to the band, and reacting to others. This doesn't mean slowing down or accelerating, of course; just locking to the groove, and listening. I'll happily play 'behind the click' if it swings better that way.
    Not saying that working to a metronome is bad; just that there's more to it than only that, imho....
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  19. #19

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    The DTXplorer has a rhythm gate system (as the metronome) that doesn't play any notes that fall outside a tolerance of the beat (you can configure it for 1/16th up to whole notes)

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Larrysperf View Post
    Metronome isnt that where they play baseball lol never have used one as have always been told my timing is spot on
    You probably have better than average time, and you probably only drift a few beats per minute here and there. That's awesome when you play with other solid musicians who dig into the time you are laying out, but it's a real bear when you play with others who want to push and pull you around. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

    I've done a lot of drumming to a click over the last few years with the praise bands I've been a part of. Like Larry, I've got better than average time keeping ability too, so I've not "worked" with the click as much as I've simply used it, and for a while I never used it at all. having said that, given the all-volunteer nature of those groups along with ability levels that swing wildly from being very very good to being barely competent, I wanted to institute the click to bring some consistency and regularity to it.

    I set my click to a basic 8th note click pattern with the beats clicking harder and the divided beat barely audible. I could go to plain quarters, but I think that having the hint of the 8th pulse helps keep things locked in.

    If you are going to try to institute a click track into playing with a band, you'll likely need to build a click track rig like I've built that includes my click source, a small mixer, a limiter (wouldn't want to blow out my ears due to accidental feedback) and a way to get signal into my signal chain. At this point I can line in everything from speaker level signal (Speakon or 1/4") to line level (1/4 inch, XLR or 1/8 inch stereo) to lining in an in-ears pack. Since I sub with praise teams here and there it gives me the ability to use in-ears monitoring whether I'm using my click or not, but that's a whole different subject for another time.

  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by trickg View Post
    ...
    If you are going to try to institute a click track into playing with a band, you'll likely need to build a click track rig like I've built that includes my click source, a small mixer, a limiter (wouldn't want to blow out my ears due to accidental feedback) and a way to get signal into my signal chain. At this point I can line in everything from speaker level signal (Speakon or 1/4") to line level (1/4 inch, XLR or 1/8 inch stereo) to lining in an in-ears pack. Since I sub with praise teams here and there it gives me the ability to use in-ears monitoring whether I'm using my click or not, but that's a whole different subject for another time.
    trickg,

    I would be interested in seeing pics of what you built. I built something similar but don't think it's quite as elaborate as what you describe. I like the idea that you can receive and monitor just about ANY type of signal.

    One thing I did to mine (was thinking about showing in a separate thread sometime), is that I carefully, permanently mounted my setup onto a TV tray, that easily folds up when breaking down. I leave all the connections connected and have one power cord to plug in. I also bought XLR "Y" adapters so I can send a kick and overhead to the main mixer as well as my monitor mixer. I just use the "main" line out from the main mixer for everything else. This works out fantastic for me for live situations.

    I must say to any who reads this.... this has turned out to be a real valuable piece of gear for me. Using isolating earbuds, I can control the sound level I hear... nice low comfortable volume and I can bash the drums and cymbals as hard as I want, it sounds great and I don't go home with ringing ears!

  22. #22

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    I think I have those pics up somewhere, but I'm about to run out the door so I don't have time to do it just now - I'll revisit this thread later.

  23. #23

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    Here you go - this is the basic setup - from left to right:

    FMR RNC compressor - used as a limiter and gain reducer
    (on top of the RNC is a LiveWire headphone amp - not plugged in at the moment, just there)

    Rear Center - ART HeadTap - this is where I plug in my 1/4" speaker level input

    Front Center - Yamaha Clickstation

    Behringer XENXY 502 Mixer



    It's a pretty basic setup, but it gets the job done. I've got it laid out on a board with sides and a kind of a top at the back for protection when I have it in a soft case, although it was set up stationary at the church for a while.

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