Metronomes: Yay or Nay?

Practicing with a metronome is essential to develop good time.

However, practice is supposed to be used to get ready for gigs, etc. Therefore, unless you plan on gigging with a click, it's also important to develop your own clock and practice without a metronome from time to time. Of course, you develop said clock by practicing with the metronome...so don't get me wrong, I think it's important to use most of the time. However, if you get to the point where you can play without a click and have it be almost as even as with a click, you will be doing yourself a huge favor.
 
Budiesel said:
To trying to hi jack this thread, but what metranomes do you use? I've never used one, but i want one, but i don't want to spend 90 bucks on the tama rhythm watch, which is what all of these music stores around me are trying to buy. How much should I spend?
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I have my computer in the same room as my drum set so I use online metronomes mostly. I have a normal $20 one for backup if I need it.
 
Yes use a metronome. It might be frustrating, but if you don't get frustrated from time to time, you're never going to get any better on the drums!

I use the metronome function on cakewalk on my PC, which is more accurate than an online metronome but also more expensive! Really though unless you have a DAW, i would reccomend using an actual metronome rather than an online one on your PC as they tend to not be very accurate and could do your drumming more bad than good.
 
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Im thinking of getting one myself. Just getting back into playing after 9 years and my time keeping is pretty awful at the moment
 
Malti said:
I've heard that using a metronome is important, especially if you're just starting out. I've tried it and I must say I don't like it. All I can think of is that constant clicking noise, taunting me and just daring me to mess up. I fixate on it and get all nervous and panicky. "Metronomophobia" perhaps? What's the consensus out there? Thanks!
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Yay, yay and yay again. It's an important tool in one's development. Use it as a guide as opposed to fixating on it. You're gonna go slow and fast, so what, as long as you practice regularly you'll start to feel more comfortable with it and your tempo will improve. Remember, don't fixate, just let it guide you.
 
If you can't play something in time, then you can't play it at all as far as I'm concerned. So yes, to reiterate everyone else, use a metronome, DO IT.
 
What I've noticed with using a metronome playing drums, guitar or piano is that it helps me relax. It's easy to start pushing a fill or a lead run, but with a metronome you find you don't have to play it as fast and furious as you think you do without it.

So, it builds fluidity. You can set it slower than you need and then move it up and see where your trouble spots are.
 
The metronome is your friend. Just as the practice pad is another friend. They will never let you down.

I love my friends! :)
 
Yay, absolutely. No one has perfect timing and the more you practice to a metronome or drum machine for that matter the better your playing.

Plus, what if you want to get session work? There will be times you have to play to a click track. That might be a problem if you're not used to playing to an electronic pulse so just go ahead and do it now so you can work later.
 
Alright, so there's really no debate at all here. (***Sighs and shuffles over to junk drawer to fish out old metronome***)
 
Malti said:
Alright, so there's really no debate at all here. (***Sighs and shuffles over to junk drawer to fish out old metronome***)
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Aww, poor Malti, browbeaten by all these non Keith Moon purists :)

Don't let it be painful. As Wy said, your metronome is your friend. There are other ways to develop timing too. One is to play along with records where the drummer plays good time.

They also say that dancing is great for your timing. Rick Marotta, a drummer noted for his great timing, had always been a dancer and only took up drums at age nineteen. A few years later he was playing serious sessions. If I had more grace than an elephant wearing jackboots *sigh* I'd dance.

One person on the forum said that he exercised to music and it helped his timing a lot. I tried going on long walks to my iPod but it gave me sore knees - the joys of getting old :(
 
The metronome is your friend - it's just like any tool, you need to learn to play with it. I struggled at first and then I decided to play along to recorded music. That really helps and can add a human element to a metronome. Find a record you like that's quite simple and just play along to it. I found pretty soon after I'd learned to play to records, I could play to a metronome - the skill set is basically the same!
 
Pollyanna said:
One is to play along with records where the drummer plays good time.
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This is a great idea and one that many drummers have done at one point or another.

On one of his youtube vids, Mike Johnston suggests playing along with some hip hop, rap or R&B type tunes as well. Purely as they generally use a drum machine which will give you perfect time (there's your metronome) but you also don't get the feeling that you're 'competing' with another drummer. You're more likely to play what you're feeling as opposed to just copying the other guys licks.

Sounded like a good idea to me.

Here's the link if anyone's interested.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjWVWAtgtuo
 
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branflakes992 said:
I can't think of a reason not to use one.
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There are fair grounds to object, namely, it's a machine and some people find that sterile. There was a thread - Don't Use a Metronome? - some time ago based on this article:

http://adamrafferty.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/dont-use-a-metronome/

The writer of the article was a guitarist with a sweet sense of time developed without a metronome, but I do think it's a bit different for drummers apart from those who play really raw music.

Personally, I find a metronome helpful at slow tempos. Without one I tend to stick with my comfort zone and it's nice to work things out that aren't at mid tempo.
 
Yay, because its fun to say, is made out of clay, by the bay next to hay. its more than ok.

im pretty sure there was something similar said in happy gilmore? anyway, metranomes are fantastic. if you play with one enough, your playing won't change in terms of feel when you play with one. it can pose a challenge early on, but with time it just becomes another part of what you're doing.
 
My viewpoint:
Years ago I studied a great book by Rick Latham titled “Advanced Funk Studies”. The beats were intricate and I got so involved in studying them that I lost focus on my time keeping and it took me a while to correct it. I should have first studied the beats with a metronome.
Time keeping should be related to perfect pitch. Most people have what is referred to as relative pitch where if you ask the person to sing middle C they may be close to hitting the note but usually they will be a bit sharp or flat. Tempo works the same way very few people have a perfect internal clock and some are worse than others are. Remember it’s your SENSE of time, as in one of your senses. When most people sing they think there on pitch but there not it’s the same with keeping time and most drummers do not become truly aware of it until they reach a professional level of playing and someone in a studio or talented listener points it out. Most singer study to learn good pitch control I think all drummers should study and refer to it as learning tempo control. I like to practice with a drum machine where I can program the click to come and go. There are a few books and DVD’s that I know of such as:
Fred Dinkins book “It’s About Time”
Benny Grebs DVD “The Language of Drumming”
Billy Wards DVD “Big Time”
I would like to know of other books or DVD’s that relate to time keeping so please add to the list.
 
hunterde said:
Time keeping should be related to perfect pitch. Most people have what is referred to as relative pitch where if you ask the person to sing middle C they may be close to hitting the note but usually they will be a bit sharp or flat. Tempo works the same way very few people have a perfect internal clock and some are worse than others are. Remember it’s your SENSE of time, as in one of your senses. When most people sing they think there on pitch but there not it’s the same with keeping time and most drummers do not become truly aware of it until they reach a professional level of playing and someone in a studio or talented listener points it out. Most singer study to learn good pitch control I think all drummers should study and refer to it as learning tempo control.
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Great comment, Hunter.
 
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