Need Help with Rhythm/Timing

[bluesman831]

I have been playing off and on for about three years and know most of the commonly used chords. My biggest problem is timing and rhythm. One of my teachers told me I have none and that there is very little I can do to develop it. I would really appreciate some help since I see this as a major stumbling block to my progress as a musician.

[Elecktrablue]

Have you ever tried to play with a metronome? It counts out the beats for you. Then it's up to you to keep time with the metronome. (And, you can slow it down as much as you need to until you are keeping time with it, then speed it up gradually until you can do the song at speed, then do it without the metronome and see how you fare).Once you've got it, though, and can play without the metronome, throw it in the trash. It can easily become a crutch and you really don't want that, but as a developmental tool, it's a good thing. Just don't get hooked on it! They're cheap enough, about the same as a tuner. Korg makes one that looks just like a tuner.

[Gotdablues]

One of my teachers told me I have none and that there is very little I can do to develop it.

Please!!

The first thing I'd do is dump that teacher!

Then take Elecktrablue's advice and get a metronome, just try to get the click and the note or the strum to match. Keep at it till you get, its well worth the effort

[TwistedLefty]

+1 on dumping the teacher

[Hyperborea]

You can work on your rhythm skills separate from your guitar skills. There are a number of books just on rhythm training. I am taking the "musicianship" class at a local community college (1st quarter out of a 6 quarter sequence) and one of the things we are working on is rhythm training (3 days a week theory and facility with notation; 1 day a week keyboard skills and applying it to theory and the ear; 1 day a week rhythm training and sight singing).

We are working with the book Rhythmic Training. We work a variety of the drills as a class in a variety of ways - beaters (chopsticks on a music stand), clapping, stamping, conducting gestures with vocalization (da da daaa etc.). Doing the drills in multiple ways really helps to make you "feel" the rhythm. I practice these drills at home for about 15 minutes a day using a metronome. My rhythmic skills weren't too bad to begin with but this work has really resulted in improvements in the last 5 weeks.

[JoeHempel]

Dump the teacher. There is plenty of things that you can do to get timing and rhythm. Using a metronome stated above is the best way I think.

[Moonrider]

One of my teachers told me I have none and that there is very little I can do to develop it.

First, find a teacher that doesn't have <oh my, this really made Moonie angry to have him use that kind of language!>

Second, follow Elektra's advice, with one addition. Don't throw the metronome away, but use it periodically to keep your timing sharp, and to maintain your ability to play to the click. If you have aspirations of doing any type of recording - whether at home or in the studio - being able to play to a "click track" can make things a whole lot easier.

[Ande]

+ Many on dumping the loser, erm, I mean teacher. No, really, I mean "teacher."


+ quite a few on getting a metronome and using it.

My own addition- a lot of multi-effects units (I have a digitech RP50) have drum tracks built in. Playing with a simple drum track gives you a lot of the same benefits of a metronome, and is fun on days when metronomes are boring.

And...it's really basic. But tap your foot.


Best,
Ande

[bluesman831]

Thank you for all your suggestions and advice. I am using a metronome right now and working on the Petty song "Into the Great Wide Open". I think my timing has improved a little already. I just need to find a good teacher.

[EMT]

I always seem a half beat off (from a metronome) when I'm changing cords. I can play along with my instructor or just tap my foot and I'm ok. I start on a note at the click then I'm on the notes between clicks after a change. After the next change I'm back on again. Until another change. Is it supposed to work like that or is it just me?

[cnev]

EMT I'm not exactly sure what you are saying but you should be right on the beat. It sounds like you are waiting to hear that beat and then hit the note but the whole point is that you "anticipate" when the next note/pulse from the metronome is coming and hit the note so the metronome and you do it at the exact same time. That's why when you slow the metronome way down it's hard to hit that beat because there is more dead time and it becomes more difficult to anticipate when the next beat is coming but with a little practice it should be fine.

[Minotaur]

My last teacher told me it's all right, and common to use the last beat of a chord to begin the switch to the next chord. Chances are the first chord is still ringing, so you won't have "dead air", as the radio industry calls it. But anticipation is important. I think David or one of the other writers has an article here that says how important anticipation is.

[dhodge]

Anticipation is important, but it's important as long as you're doing it deliberately and intentionally. If you're creating anticipation without knowing that you're doing it, well, that's another matter entirely.

One thing about metronomes, and this may yet be another debate for "visual learning" crowd, is that beginners will often fixate on watching it instead of listening to it. Rhythm isn't visual and getting caught up in watching your metronome (whether is swings back and forth or whether it has a flashing light) can put many people off rhythm. This may not be the case here, but since it's a fairly common obstacle, it might be worth mentioning.

Peace

[EMT]

I'm not watching it. I just lays over there and beeps at me.
I just lose a half beat in my chord change. I'm not anticipating, I'm either too slow(by a half beat) or I'm not waiting to hit the next note and I should. If I wait though then it sounds like I have a two beat pause. Doesn't sound fluid, sounds like I forgot what the next note was and had to read the page.
Sometimes I don't think I can fully relate what I'm thinking. I Have trouble expressing thoughs.

[dhodge]

It sounds like it's going to be just a matter of practice, then. That's actually a good thing!

You might want to slow things down at first, even slower than you normally do, just to get into the groove. Don't even strum, just try tapping your foot to the beeping of the metronome, having your foot hit the floor each time it beeps. If you can do that steadily, you'll notice that your foot, tapping up and down, will be mimicking your strumming motion - your hand goes down when the foot goes down and comes up with the foot comes up.

Still going slowly, count out the beats ("one, two, three, four") and strum a chord as you do so. Just downstrokes for starters. When you count "four," use the upstroke to make your chord change so that you're set with the chord on the downstroke of the following "one" count. If you're not making it in time, then slow the tempo down more so that you can do it. Only when you're comfortable making the change in timing should you start increasing the tempo, and then just a little at a time. You'll hopefully suprise yourself at how quickly you can work the chord change up to speed with repetition.

I don't know if you've tried listening to our Guitar Noise Podcasts, but they are all about rhythm and the first few might be able to help you out a bit.

Hope this helps and looking forward to hearing how things are going.

Peace