Learning a song and the importance of a metronome

johnson430 · Aug 8, 2016

This is how I practice. I take a song and learn it at a slower tempo with the metronome and then increase to the song's actual tempo over time.
Here is a perfect example of a guitarist doing the same.
First recording at a slower tempo:
https://twitter.com/FollowGohar/status/757275912517943302/video/1
Second video was recorded after one hour of practice:
https://twitter.com/FollowGohar/status/757286973853802496/video/1

Anyone else do the same? Or inspired to try this method?

FYI, it sounds like she is using a digital metronome similar to the Wittner MT60 that I use.
Although I am sure you can get a free android or iphone metronome app and it will have similar results.

Recstar24 · Aug 8, 2016

Two summers ago I took a university ukulele class in the summer done online as part of our music educational professional development requirements. The professor required us to submit all weekly assessments with a metronome track in the recording, and a big part of our grade was that our playing literally "buried the click". I did well as I'm used to playing with a metronome, but many from the class did grumble about their grades as the professor was a very rigorous grader and many were not accustomed to really playing on top of a metronome.

Playing with a metronome is a great way to keep your playing tip top shape and really gets your ear focused on how precise the beat can be. I applaud your efforts!

bacchettadavid · Aug 8, 2016

I'll second this method. It's one of the tried-and-true methods of learning new musical material.

johnson430 · Aug 9, 2016

Recstar24 said:
Two summers ago I took a university ukulele class in the summer done online as part of our music educational professional development requirements. The professor required us to submit all weekly assessments with a metronome track in the recording, and a big part of our grade was that our playing literally "buried the click". I did well as I'm used to playing with a metronome, but many from the class did grumble about their grades as the professor was a very rigorous grader and many were not accustomed to really playing on top of a metronome.

Playing with a metronome is a great way to keep your playing tip top shape and really gets your ear focused on how precise the beat can be. I applaud your efforts!

Thank you.
And that is a great story, thanks for sharing. I wish more players understood the importance of keeping a beat/ or maintaining a constant rhythm in a song.

Ryan, one thing that I have noticed as I improve my timing on a piece is the ability to alter phrasing within a measure to "make the song mine". Does this make sense?
Getting the beat down seems to give me confidence to try new things with a song too. For instance, I have been working on creating a more elaborate version of "Amazing Grace" that is in my Alfred Book 1 but there are some empty spots because the song is a finger-picking study; taking what I have learned from TUW (The Ukulele Way) I have incorporated the chords and melody notes to create a more developed version of the song that is "mine".

Recstar24 · Aug 9, 2016

johnson430 said:
Thank you.
And that is a great story, thanks for sharing. I wish more players understood the importance of keeping a beat/ or maintaining a constant rhythm in a song.

Ryan, one thing that I have noticed as I improve my timing on a piece is the ability to alter phrasing within a measure to "make the song mine". Does this make sense?
Getting the beat down seems to give me confidence to try new things with a song too. For instance, I have been working on creating a more elaborate version of "Amazing Grace" that is in my Alfred Book 1 but there are some empty spots because the song is a finger-picking study; taking what I have learned from TUW (The Ukulele Way) I have incorporated the chords and melody notes to create a more developed version of the song that is "mine".

Makes perfect sense! The "official" music term generally used for that idea is "phrasing". You are still playing on beat, but are making it your own by altering the general flow and phrasing of the musical line or passage. I can definitely see how being more confident and stronger with the best through practice with a metronome can free up your phrasing. For my students, phrasing is definitely a higher order, more advanced idea.

Learning a song and the importance of a metronome

johnson430

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