ARGHGHGHGHG I can't stay in a beat!

;) Heh, heh! Me too! That's why I started picking! Even my heart has arrhythmia. (I can't believe that is the correct spelling - but spell check says so!) When I try to maintain a steady strum, something in me locks up. :rolleyes:
 
"Don't think, feel!
It is like a finger pointing away to the moon.
Don't concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory."
- Bruce Lee
 
same thing happens to me, but i realize that the best thing to do is memorize a song until you can play it while playing a video game with your feet. in other words memorize it very very very well, and if you think you have done that, memorize it some more. soon the words will just flow out. I also recomend listening to that song over and over again by the original composer. it helps.

cheers
 
I always find I keep time better if I tap my foot. Seriously, it works like a personal metronome and you can synch yr hand to it! :D
 
You are not alone man... My teacher told me that rhythm was my aquiles heel. I remember I couldnt tap my foot in synch of the beats.

Luckily we are not drummers. We just need to practice rhythm to a certain level. I think dominating til the 8ths is decent enough.

About singing and playing, I dont think people play crazy things while they sing.
 
I have the same problem.

I have resigned myself to practicing along with a metronome. It is soo boring that I feel like I am going to nod off, but two hours later, I can play the song and stay in rhythm. Then I start to think about it too much and mess up, so it's back to the metronome.

I think the best players are the ones that can shut off their brains.
 
I have a suggestion. I used this teaching beginning guitar in adult ed classes. Separate some of your practice time into focused on learning chords and switching between chords and spend some time strumming with your left hand over all the strings.

Now, don't just strum by yourself. Put on some music with a straight, simple beat, say country, straight 4/4 time. Listen for the "backbeat" - that will be the snare drum on beats 2 and 4. Listen for the bass guitar on beats 1 and 3. Practice strumming to this music switching from playing on 1, 2, 3, & 4 to only 1 & 3 and 2 & 4. Try sticking with one of these examples for a whole song.

Remember that you have to strum in such a way that you make the sound at the right time. This means you have to be moving your hand from the top or bottom of the stroke slightly before you need the sound to be there. If you move when the beat comes you are already too late.

Do this for a few days then try combining the left and right hands to play a song.
 
Did you ever try using a metronome instead???

Or ask someone with beat to play with you, hehe........
 
Here's a little trick i do...

I get the strum pattern down, and then start to chunk on every snare drum hit. Then my hand gets the rhythm down and I can stop chunking (or keep chunking if it sounds good).
 
UkeNukem said:
Now, don't just strum by yourself. Put on some music with a straight, simple beat, say country, straight 4/4 time. Listen for the "backbeat" - that will be the snare drum on beats 2 and 4. Listen for the bass guitar on beats 1 and 3. Practice strumming to this music switching from playing on 1, 2, 3, & 4 to only 1 & 3 and 2 & 4. Try sticking with one of these examples for a whole song.

Remember that you have to strum in such a way that you make the sound at the right time. This means you have to be moving your hand from the top or bottom of the stroke slightly before you need the sound to be there. If you move when the beat comes you are already too late.

Do this for a few days then try combining the left and right hands to play a song.
Click to expand...

This is genius, thank you sir.
 
You're welcome. Having played some instrument since about 1966 I noticed something in my guitar classes. Not everyone has played an instument before! DUH! We who have, often realize how long it took us to get melody, harmony and rhythm. And, how can these folks understand what's going on if they don't even get the concept or the terminology.

Also, our brains are split and the right brain controls the left side and the left brain controls the right side. So, thinks I one day, why not separate the skills at first so the brains don't get overloaded? :eek: I found that it is a valid method but as with any other music method, the student needs to trust the teacher and just do it. In my classes I found the students who had no musical experience that did this method progressed and were able to play songs sooner.

But, unfortunately, I'm not a genius. But I am known to be highly sarcastic! :cool:
 
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