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Post by Onechordtrick on Feb 2, 2018 13:49:54 GMT
Well according to my wife it is... Stop sniggering at the back ! She's pointed out that I should probably use a metronome to try to regain the metre of teh song Any tips for how to get started? Other than 4 flute lessons 40 years ago I've had no practical music training (and precious little theory) so really don't know how to start!
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Post by Cams on Feb 2, 2018 14:06:07 GMT
Practising with a metronome is an incredibly useful exercise, and like all forms of exercise, is one thing that barely anyone does enough of. I know I'm guilty of not exercising enough in both senses. I should do both at least a little more!
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Post by andyhowell on Feb 2, 2018 15:11:30 GMT
I think that is right. A more natural timing will come. Bare in mind that for solo performance subtle changes in tempo can add real atmosphere but when you're playing with other you need the tempo!
Metronomes are very effective and cheap! You can put one on you phone!
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Phil Taylor
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Post by Phil Taylor on Feb 2, 2018 17:21:29 GMT
I take any advice from my wife re my playing with a pinch of salt or at best I sort the wheat from the chaff Your wife of course may be very musical but in any case if you haven't done already I would suggest recording yourself and if your timing is out you will probably hear it. I have a metronome but find it impossible to play along with but I do believe that to be the best route as others have mentioned. Phil
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Post by Onechordtrick on Feb 2, 2018 18:34:28 GMT
I take any advice from my wife re my playing with a pinch of salt or at best I sort the wheat from the chaff Your wife of course may be very musical but in any case if you haven't done already I would suggest recording yourself and if your timing is out you will probably hear it. I have a metronome but find it impossible to play along with but I do believe that to be the best route as others have mentioned. Phil She’s more musical than me, but that’s a pretty thin compliment given that I compensate for talent with enthusiasm. My son’s also pointed the same thing out and I respect his judgment. So between them I think they have a point! Plus I’m not sure that I’m skilled enough to judge my own recording.
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Post by vikingblues on Feb 3, 2018 13:54:35 GMT
I have found my sense of timing has gradually improved over time the more I've played. Some improvement was inevitable as I was starting from a very low point of total incompetence! I have also found that a metronome does not work for me if I have it playing every beat. Setting it to every other beat or maybe every 4th beat is better as that allows a wee bit of expression, rather than it all sounding rigid, unnatural, and far from musical. But I've very rarely used a metronome at all. Mark
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Post by andyhowell on Feb 4, 2018 9:01:46 GMT
Mark is right - timing improves with practice like everything else! Also, concentrate on timing and touch over complicated runs and chords (ocasssionally or more often). If you are always working too hard on stretching the timing will be harder!
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Post by ocarolan on Feb 4, 2018 9:20:30 GMT
My timing is never a problem for me - only for the people playing with me!
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Phil Taylor
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Post by Phil Taylor on Feb 4, 2018 10:19:57 GMT
My timing is never a problem for me - only for the people playing with me! I just say I'm playing rubato
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Post by lavaman on Feb 4, 2018 10:43:00 GMT
Try playing a song extremely slowly. That gives you more time to think about your timing. Once you're happy with the timing speed up.
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Post by andyhowell on Feb 4, 2018 10:51:34 GMT
Try playing a song extremely slowly. That gives you more time to think about your timing. Once you're happy with the timing speed up. Or just stay slow ;-)
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Post by vikingblues on Feb 4, 2018 13:44:03 GMT
A couple of days ago I heard a song on one of the Mike Harding Podcasts. AT the end of the first minute all was OK, but when 2 minutes had elapsed I was thinking "something is very wrong". By the end of the 3rd minute I knew what it was. By the end of the 4th minute I had to skip to the next song because there was still nearly a minute to go and it was doing my head in. The guitar part, which was quite prominent was being played in a strumming pattern. Perfectly timed. Absolutely rigidly perfect. The same strumming pattern for every line of the song whether verse or chorus. A total lack of rubato, of feel, of sympathy for what the words / vocal lines were doing. It was horrible! I couldn't take any more!!! Nurse - the screens!!!!! Mark
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Post by Onechordtrick on Feb 6, 2018 5:31:57 GMT
As a sort of update, but in a manner that actually avoids how I addressed the original question, I attended my first local session on Sunday.
Billed as a “slow session” I thought it should be at my level. However I now realise I may have misjudged my abilities... They started with Bear Dance, great I thought I know that one. Wrong! By the time I’d played the first bar they were on to the fifth. I nearly gave up and went downstairs to watch the rugby. However the group was very welcoming. “Nobody will mind if you get it wrong, they won’t even hear you. In fact you probably won’t hear yourself.” Instead I focused on playing in time and by the end I was just about keeping up. Next time I’ll also try to play the right chords as well. I’ve got their songbook so will try to learn some of their tunes for next time.
All in all great fun and, at the very least I can now claim that my first public performance was in the same venue as Supergrass made theirs!
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Post by Onechordtrick on Feb 11, 2018 18:24:59 GMT
And as a post-postscript. I went along to the more local slow session this afternoon. Show us what you got one of them asked as we were warming up so I gave a quick tune as fast as I could manage. Given that last week was way too fast for me I thought that was a wise strategy. Wrong! “We normally play that a little slower” was his feedback. Fine by me!
Played a few more tunes, some familiar that I could keep up with, others that I just played some chords to. Last week was good but this week far more suitable to my ability and on the doorstep.
As I was also able to keep time with the reduced pace I left feeling more confident so all in all a plus.
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Post by jackorion on Feb 15, 2018 7:11:45 GMT
I've never practised with a metronome but I think I have a pretty good sense of timing when I put my mind to it - I think this came from playing in bands a lot when I was younger and realising I had to get better quickly and, subsequently, I often ended up being the one who was driving the tempo of songs and keeping other people in check, so I think playing with other players (particularly those who are better than you!) is really good for one's timing and other skills.
As a solo performer it's a bit trickier to 'keep time' sometimes as I find myself wanting to slow up and speed up for emphasise, and nerves sometimes make me play a little too fast and then I have to tell myself to slow down a bit, but in a group situation my timing's normally pretty tidy, and it all comes back to having spent lots of time playing with others I think...
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