Controlling tempo...

[drummer girl09]

Lately, I have been video taping myself on some songs that I like to play, to see how well I play them and what I need to change...etc. I noticed that my tempo wasnt as steady as I thought it was. And it seems to be kind of choppy, not as smooth as I want it. It all surprised me when I video taped myself while listening to the song on my ipod dock ( I timed the song exactly where it started with my playing). Any suggestions on how to improve my tempo besides the metronome? Thanks.

[bermuda]

A metronome - preferrably one that generates beats in addition to just a straight click - is the best way to be sure you're hearing a steady tempo, and can determine when you stray. Listening to recorded tracks may or may not help with tempo, since you can't always know that it was recorded at a steady tempo. Dance tracks are cut with sequences, but not all rock records are, and almost everything before the '80s was cut without a click.

You should set a tempo (start with 120bpm) and a sequence (or 1/8 note click) and play with it, inserting a fill every 4 or 8 bars. You'll begin to feel where you're dragging or rushing, and whatever adjustments you need to make to stay with the click, will eventually become habit. How will you know it's starting to work? Because the click won't drift as much after a while. When you play with a band, you'll find yourself automatically adjusting at those times you used to stray.

It's a good idea to practice at different tempos, too. Try 95bpm, try 110bpm, try 135bpm. Try 190 for about 15 minutes to work on stamina!

If a click doesn't sound like fun, and you'd rather play with a recording... tough! Working on tempo is just that: work. But that's why I recommend a loop or sequence, which is less boring than a click. It's also easier to play with another 'drummer' instead of a monotonous click.

My tempo issues are always with fills - I want to speed up. So I 'sit' on the tempo when doing fills. If it feels (to me) like I'm slowing things down a bit, that really means I'm holding the tempo. But, that's just me, don't feel that slowing the fills a bit is necessarily the answer to tempo issues. Most drummers have a different tempo problem or two, and a different way of dealing with it. For some it's shuffles, for others it's playing slow and staying slow. The first step for improving is identifying the problem, then working on a solution, and employing it whenever playing.

Good luck,

Bermuda

[drummer girl09]

Hey, thanks a lot! I downloaded a "metronome" from the itunes store, but I don't even have an iTouch! But I bought an album of metronomes BPM from Josh Garlow. I have been using a "click track" but I only had three kinds of BMPs. I do use it when ever I have trouble with my tempo. I seem to get pretty accurate on the click, but when it comes to the song itself, it sounds like I didn't even work on it with a click at all. Maybe I should practice more with the click then the track. But thanks a lot for your advice. I will try it most defiantly.

[DrummerDavid]

. But thanks a lot for your advice. I will try it most defiantly.


Most defiantly?



: P

[drummer girl09]

Oops, my bad. Stupid spell check. Definitely. Sorry about that.

[m1ck]

A metronome - preferrably one that generates beats in addition to just a straight click - is the best way to be sure you're hearing a steady tempo, and can determine when you stray. Listening to recorded tracks may or may not help with tempo, since you can't always know that it was recorded at a steady tempo. Dance tracks are cut with sequences, but not all rock records are, and almost everything before the '80s was cut without a click.

You should set a tempo (start with 120bpm) and a sequence (or 1/8 note click) and play with it, inserting a fill every 4 or 8 bars. You'll begin to feel where you're dragging or rushing, and whatever adjustments you need to make to stay with the click, will eventually become habit. How will you know it's starting to work? Because the click won't drift as much after a while. When you play with a band, you'll find yourself automatically adjusting at those times you used to stray. ...

This is gospel, imo. At least it is as applies to my own drumming.

Many times I feel like I'm ON IT - and then I listen to a recording and I'm disappointed with what I hear. Don't get me wrong - I have a pretty strong, innate sense of rhythm and timing. Many people have told me so. But that's not enough.

Doing hard time with a metronome clicking in my headphones has helped a lot. It's showed me that I compress notes in fills and that I'm often slack on the uptake afterward. Because it's a MACHINE the click is an unforgiving taskmaster, but it will make you a better drummer.

$0.02

[drummer girl09]

This is gospel, imo. At least it is as applies to my own drumming.

Many times I feel like I'm ON IT - and then I listen to a recording and I'm disappointed with what I hear. Don't get me wrong - I have a pretty strong, innate sense of rhythm and timing. Many people have told me so. But that's not enough



That's exactly where I'm at. I'm not bad at keeping time at everything I drum to, just the songs that I have to learn. I guess it's the stress on wanting to get the song perfect. The click track has helped me a lot, but not enough to get me where I want to go; at least not right now it hasn't.

[m1ck]

... The click track has helped me a lot, but not enough to get me where I want to go ...

Time, practice and perseverance will take care of the rest. Don't give up.

[Wavelength]

I have been using a "click track" but I only had three kinds of BMPs. I do use it when ever I have trouble with my tempo. I seem to get pretty accurate on the click, but when it comes to the song itself, it sounds like I didn't even work on it with a click at all. Maybe I should practice more with the click then the track.

You should work with the metronome on a daily basis, and use it in a few different ways. A loop or a tight click (quarters or eighth notes) is a good starting point for building up steady time keeping, but later on you'll want to move into more interesting metronome uses. One of the best ways to learn to keep time instead of just following the click is to have the metronome click on just the "one" of each bar, and later on every "one" of every other bar, or every "one" of every four bars. This will develop your sense of the big time immensely.

To develop your micro timing, set the metronome back to quarter notes, but imagine they are not on each downbeat, but rather on each 8th note up beat, on the last triplet of each quarter note, on the last 16th note of each quarter note, on the second triplet of each quarter note, or on the second 16th of each quarter note. Playing the simplest of grooves using any of these methods is going to be very challenging, since you need to maintain the spacing between the click and your own downbeats.

[Hercraft]

You should work with the metronome on a daily basis, and use it in a few different ways. A loop or a tight click (quarters or eighth notes) is a good starting point for building up steady time keeping, but later on you'll want to move into more interesting metronome uses. One of the best ways to learn to keep time instead of just following the click is to have the metronome click on just the "one" of each bar, and later on every "one" of every other bar, or every "one" of every four bars. This will develop your sense of the big time immensely.

To develop your micro timing, set the metronome back to quarter notes, but imagine they are not on each downbeat, but rather on each 8th note up beat, on the last triplet of each quarter note, on the last 16th note of each quarter note, on the second triplet of each quarter note, or on the second 16th of each quarter note. Playing the simplest of grooves using any of these methods is going to be very challenging, since you need to maintain the spacing between the click and your own downbeats.

Very interesting point!
I was wondering what are you working right now around this issue. Im very curious.
And what ehere you experiencies with this work. I want to start working myself and
wanna know some advices if you want.
Thanks!

[drummer girl09]

You should work with the metronome on a daily basis, and use it in a few different ways. A loop or a tight click (quarters or eighth notes) is a good starting point for building up steady time keeping, but later on you'll want to move into more interesting metronome uses. One of the best ways to learn to keep time instead of just following the click is to have the metronome click on just the "one" of each bar, and later on every "one" of every other bar, or every "one" of every four bars. This will develop your sense of the big time immensely.

To develop your micro timing, set the metronome back to quarter notes, but imagine they are not on each downbeat, but rather on each 8th note up beat, on the last triplet of each quarter note, on the last 16th note of each quarter note, on the second triplet of each quarter note, or on the second 16th of each quarter note. Playing the simplest of grooves using any of these methods is going to be very challenging, since you need to maintain the spacing between the click and your own downbeats.




Lol, sounds really complex, but I think I understand what you mean...hopefully. And I will also try this also. Thanks.

[Wavelength]

Lol, sounds really complex, but I think I understand what you mean...hopefully. And I will also try this also. Thanks.

It's not complex. It's just hard.

[kheddar]

This will develop your sense of the big time immensely.


Don't you mean, "This will develop your sense of the big time big time."

:P

[Wavelength]

Don't you mean, "This will develop your sense of the big time big time."

Nope. You must've mistaken me for someone witty...