Forum wisdom, check my logic

Taking the Audacity idea a step further. Video tape yourself playing along to your metronome at various BPM and then examine it in video editing software by zooming in on the video timeline.
 
Wow, I'm a drum geek and even I find this over the top. I dig it though because why not?

All I know is that when I'm on I can't hear the metronome when I'm playing on the pad. The metronome is just a click sound and the pad is obviously a short pad sound.

It's all about gaining the ability to gauge yourself relative to the pulse and adjust to match it. Gavin Harrison used to record himself and then play it back in slow motion to really exaggerate the inconsistencies. I should do that.
 
So I guess laying down a good groove with other musicians is no longer good enough for Larry?
 
Wow, I'm a drum geek and even I find this over the top. I dig it though because why not?

All I know is that when I'm on I can't hear the metronome when I'm playing on the pad. The metronome is just a click sound and the pad is obviously a short pad sound.

It's all about gaining the ability to gauge yourself relative to the pulse and adjust to match it. Gavin Harrison used to record himself and then play it back in slow motion to really exaggerate the inconsistencies. I should do that.

I have taken a fair amount of time to compare the drumming "greats" against a metronome. It's way more interesting and educational, than listening to me botch it. :D

if it's about milliseconds, I'd rather be an offender than an obeyer, who can't groove or swing, etc.
 
So I guess laying down a good groove with other musicians is no longer good enough for Larry?

Yea, that's right. The time has to be perfect. If the groove isn't there, it doesn't matter as long as the time is perfect. Perfect time is the cure for the worlds illnesses.

Groove, pfft. Perfect time is where it's at lads.

:p
 
Does anyone know of any musical courses that study time?

I want to say there is none but I don't really know.
 
So I think I figured out an actual answer to my question.

Accuracy is dependent on tempo. At 120 BPM, or 2 BPS, I'd have to be accurate to .5 seconds to bury the click. At 240 BPM, or 4 BPS, I'd have to be accurate to .25 of a second. And so on. Not as small an amount of time as I initially thought.
 
I don't know Larry but all this reminds me of my Organic chemistry undergrad prof-he was chairman and literally a "nut" about time-he'd get up to set his watch to the international time clock, had his lectures precisely timed-no interruption (so no questions asked) and even timed how long it would take to replace projector bulb. He'd just read the book to us. He was neat nut too-his book on a podium opened ready for the day's "reading"-replacement bulbs and pens set out all neat. So I'd arrive early and mess everything up just to screw with his head-I was hippie back then so I'd come to class in a tank top, bell bottoms and often barefoot-he had a fit over my bare feet in class (but there was no rule against it-heck you could smoke in class and halls)-which told me I can't do that in lab (so I'd wear these stinky sneakers I had for fishing). Eventually he told me I didn't have to come to class-just take exams and do labs-we had a big argument and cussed each other out (I told him he sucks as an educator- don't need anyone to read the book to me). Needless to say he loved me. LOL
 
So I think I figured out an actual answer to my question.

Accuracy is dependent on tempo. At 120 BPM, or 2 BPS, I'd have to be accurate to .5 seconds to bury the click. At 240 BPM, or 4 BPS, I'd have to be accurate to .25 of a second. And so on. Not as small an amount of time as I initially thought.

Not buying this Larry. The sound of the click on any metronome I have heard is not .5 seconds in duration.
 
Not buying this Larry. The sound of the click on any metronome I have heard is not .5 seconds in duration.

I think I am being misunderstood.

In my mind, the attack of a drumstick on a pad for instance...I contend that it's pretty close in duration, to the duration of a click. (not counting the after glow of a snare drum, just the attack)

So if I want to bury a click at 2 BPS, I have to fire at exactly .5 of a second continuously. If I fire at .48 or .52 of a second, I won't bury it.

Does that put a finer point on it Russ?
 
much more clear. Without trying to evaluate your numbers what you are saying is that you have .04 second window to bit the drum and thus bury the click. This sounds quite plausible.
 
Obviously this depends on the metronome.

Some of them are mechanical "clicks" some of them are computer "beeps" and some of them are even shorter or longer sounds. I've heard some that are these weird like "ticks" that almost sound like a tap played backwards or something.

If it makes you feel better though I can go outside and bury one in the yard.
 
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