[QUOTE=Nonikai;28371147]My dru- wait no
My bassist is hor- wait no he's awesome.
Sorry my band members are the best in the world. Why am I in here?[/QUOTE]
to show off
I don't have a band anymore, I quit because the other guitarist couldn't keep up with me, musical tastes clashed a bit, bassist was meh, decent vocals though, and drummer was just not a friend of mine. Can't find any new bands/new members. My friends band, that is actually releasing an EP/albumish thing soon said they would choose me for a replacement guitarist if their current guitarist died/quit :v:.
Oh well, I'm sure I'll find some people.
I can come up with guitar riffs like a fucking machine and I'd say I'd make a pretty good rhythm guitarist, except the other day my teacher decided to try getting me to keep a beat along with a drum machine and I just couldn't fucking do it. I was talking to some friends today and one's a drummer and the other's a more experienced guitarist than me, and I think we'd make a decent band but it wouldn't really work if I can't figure out how to go along with drums. I can keep a beat in my head regardless of the time signature and regardless of how you count a time signature (for example, counting 9/4 by 4 and 5 or triple 3's or a fucked up 7 and 2, anything). Any tips other than just mindlessly/numbingly practicing with a drum track for hours until I get the hang of it somehow?
[QUOTE=DSG;28373923]I can come up with guitar riffs like a fucking machine and I'd say I'd make a pretty good rhythm guitarist, except the other day my teacher decided to try getting me to keep a beat along with a drum machine and I just couldn't fucking do it. I was talking to some friends today and one's a drummer and the other's a more experienced guitarist than me, and I think we'd make a decent band but it wouldn't really work if I can't figure out how to go along with drums. I can keep a beat in my head regardless of the time signature and regardless of how you count a time signature (for example, counting 9/4 by 4 and 5 or triple 3's or a fucked up 7 and 2, anything). Any tips other than just mindlessly/numbingly practicing with a drum track for hours until I get the hang of it somehow?[/QUOTE]
Wow, you know a lot for a typical young guitarist. Have you thought about picking up bass guitar? Do that, you not only learn to play on beat, but also learn to keep a beat, and getting into bass might help you feel the groove of the drums more naturally.
[QUOTE=DSG;28373923]I can come up with guitar riffs like a fucking machine and I'd say I'd make a pretty good rhythm guitarist, except the other day my teacher decided to try getting me to keep a beat along with a drum machine and I just couldn't fucking do it. I was talking to some friends today and one's a drummer and the other's a more experienced guitarist than me, and I think we'd make a decent band but it wouldn't really work if I can't figure out how to go along with drums. I can keep a beat in my head regardless of the time signature and regardless of how you count a time signature (for example, counting 9/4 by 4 and 5 or triple 3's or a fucked up 7 and 2, anything). Any tips other than just mindlessly/numbingly practicing with a drum track for hours until I get the hang of it somehow?[/QUOTE]
This is an issue with your technique. Practice constantly with a metronome. Start out slow and you want to have perfect timing before moving up the temp. Also count what you're playing.
My usual routine for practicing with a metronome is to start playing quarter notes on a single note, and then I'll start playing the chromatic scale and then work into other scales and patterns. Then I move on to eighth notes, then triplets, then sixteenth notes. If I'm not on time, I'll lower the tempo. Then I may start to mix it up with some improvisation with the metronome, but always being sure that I'm on time. Also, every beat I'll accent the note by playing it harder. I picked that up from John Petrucci's Rock Discipline.
It is pretty the same concept with a drum machine. The typical drum pattern is eighth notes on the high hat, a kick on the first beat, and snare on the third beat. It could of course be different, but it is isn't hard to figure out. You'll want to practice with both a metronome and a drum machine.
This is really only way to go. To put it this way, if you can't play the chromatic scale in time then what hope do you have of playing anything else in time? It'll take a while to get good with it, but it's the only reliable way to improve your timing.
[QUOTE=Funcoot;28374734]Wow, you know a lot for a typical young guitarist. Have you thought about picking up bass guitar? Do that, you not only learn to play on beat, but also learn to keep a beat, and getting into bass might help you feel the groove of the drums more naturally.[/QUOTE]
I don't see how what I said shows that I know a lot, but I did take piano for almost 10 years before picking up guitar about a year and a half ago so I know a lot of music theory from that. Right now I don't have any money for a bass since I'm barely paying for my guitar lessons already, but what's stopping me from applying the same concept on guitar rhythmically? It should be noted that I'm metal/punk oriented genre-wise.
[QUOTE=Pepin;28375946]This is an issue with your technique. Practice constantly with a metronome. Start out slow and you want to have perfect timing before moving up the temp. Also count what you're playing.
My usual routine for practicing with a metronome is to start playing quarter notes on a single note, and then I'll start playing the chromatic scale and then work into other scales and patterns. Then I move on to eighth notes, then triplets, then sixteenth notes. If I'm not on time, I'll lower the tempo. Then I may start to mix it up with some improvisation with the metronome, but always being sure that I'm on time. Also, every beat I'll accent the note by playing it harder. I picked that up from John Petrucci's Rock Discipline.
It is pretty the same concept with a drum machine. The typical drum pattern is eighth notes on the high hat, a kick on the first beat, and snare on the third beat. It could of course be different, but it is isn't hard to figure out. You'll want to practice with both a metronome and a drum machine.
This is really only way to go. To put it this way, if you can't play the chromatic scale in time then what hope do you have of playing anything else in time? It'll take a while to get good with it, but it's the only reliable way to improve your timing.[/QUOTE]
Yeah I've always had a problem (both in technique and in terms of hating it) with the metronome... probably what it is. :saddowns: I mean, I can do basic stuff in time along with a metronome beat, but actual melodies/rhythms/etc. and it starts to get more complicated. However, what I was originally trying to get to was that when using a drum track as a metronome I have even more of a hard time going along with it than with a metronome. I guess you have to master one to get the hang of the other.
Thanks to both your responses.
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