Tempo change in tune - metronome won't do it

Liebe zeit

Silver Member
We've got a tune we're practicing. It goes from about 80bpm in the main part to a pacey final section at about 120. The transition between the two is 6 reps of the Shotgun fill (see Jr Walker) that speed up from 80 - 120. Obviously my 'nome won't do this. All I can think is to program a click track that does the job and stick it on my iPod. Any other suggestions?
 
does it really have to be exact? just speed up to about whatever tempo you are writing it at.
 
There are sequencer apps available for most smartphones that will probably do what you want, but I would think that creating the sequence on your computer and then playing it as a sound file from your iPod would be just as good.

Alternatively, if you want a challenge, set your metronome to 120 and play the 80 bpm quarter notes as half note triplets. Or vice versa, set the metronome to 80 and play the 120 bpm quarter notes as a 3 over 2 polyrhythm. I don't think I'd trust myself to do that comfortably (at least not at a gig), but it could be a fun experiment :)

edit: If you're after a gradual speed up, my alternative idea obviously won't work very well. I assumed you wanted a sudden tempo change.
 
Pro-tools will do it for you. Just use the Elastic Audio plug-in and you can do the gradual speed up. Record it at 80 BPM and let the magic of digital recording do the rest. Obviously record the rest of the song at the 120 bpm and cut and paste. People may tell you its cheating, but it is the only way I know of to do it.
 
I just picked up one of those Peterson metronomes. I was weary of the purchase, based on some performance issues mentioned in the reviews. It immedately had those issues out of the box, but I installed the latest firmware update as soon as I got home, and it has no issues now. It's programmable. My band has a song that starts at about 135 and gradually speeds up to 175. I was able to sequence the entire song out and upload it to the metronome. It flawlessly changes tempo at the exact right time.

Of course, that's an expensive option, as the metronome runs about $120

I'm sure you can find different sequencers and apps for cheap to do essentially the same thing.
 
Seems to me that if your song was at 60 bpm and it went to 120 bpm at the end, that would be a no brainer. And it would be something the audience could relate to; and remember, and hum in their heads long after the music has stopped.

If your song goes from 80 bpm to 120 bpm then there are no rules. You even said it went to "about" 120 bpm.
I think the band needs to rely on you to set the tempo to anything near 120 bpm based on however you feel at the time. It is called Improvisation.

Let the feeling of the song at the moment determine how fast the band is going to be playing at the end of the song. Or let the bass player or guitar player determine the tempo at the end of the song.
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How about using two metronomes. One on audible at 80 bpm. Put the other one on visual only at 120 bpm (flashing light). Then look at the flashing light when you need the 120 bpm tempo.
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i think a metric modulation might do it. keep the groove / solo at 80 bpm then start kicking quarter note triplets like crazy in groups of 3s w/ the back beat in the classic 3 over 2...then start accenting the quarter note triplets w/ every other note in groups of 2s as you metrically modulate. my gut says this will get you close to 120.

example 1 basically but use just BD "quarters" on 1 & 3 for the new modulated tempo:

+ http://www.vinniecolaiuta.com/articles/smm.aspx
 
Start the song at 85bpm. When it is time for the fill, increase your increments at 5bpm each time. After repeating the fill 6 times as you said, this will get you to 115 bpm. If you want it even closer to 80 and 120, start at 82, increase the fill by 6 each time. This will get you to 118. Or start at 79, fills increase by 7, you end at 121.
 
Don't use a metronome? You know how to keep time, and it's an easy modulation to feel even if you don't work out the precise mathematics. Turn off the electronics and play.

Right on ! This was my initial thought.
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Do it by feel. We play "killing in the name of " the live version and it speeds up then go back to the original tempo. I believe it is 82 bpm but not sure. I start the song with the click, then speed up (while still listening to the click) and then go back to 82. In your case, you could leave it to 80 with a subdivision on 2 (40) thrn at 120 you'lll have 3/2.
 
Yes - don't use a metronome.. unless you want to practice at home and play around with an audio track in Audacity to get a sense of how it speeds up.. Then once you've incremented the track (you'd have to do it over many sections) practice along until you've got it locked in.
But.. playing live no way; you have to feel it or recall it from memory.
I used to play in a band that did lots of medleys where there were sudden tempo changes all over the place.. a metronome doesn't work in those situations.. you basically have to memorize the tempo change... unless you have a conductor!
 
Yes - don't use a metronome.. unless you want to practice at home and play around with an audio track in Audacity to get a sense of how it speeds up.. Then once you've incremented the track (you'd have to do it over many sections) practice along until you've got it locked in.
But.. playing live no way; you have to feel it or recall it from memory.
Yep, live there's no way I'd use an electronic aid. . . but it's for practicing at home and for this Audacity sounds like the answer.
 
All has been said that I'd say - which is do it by feel. Get comfortable with what the music feels like at 120 and internalize it.
 
80 & 120 bpm... that's for quarter notes pulse I presume.

Have you try to see if any subdivisions works within both tempos? Like 8th notes and 8th notes triplets for exemple...

8th notes @ 120bpm (quarter pulse) = 8th note triplets @ 80 bpm (quarter pulse)

3 bars of 8th notes @ 120 bpm = 4 bars of 8th notes triplets @ 80 bpm >>> both bpm values having a total of 24 8th notes being played.

So you set your 'nome at 240 bpm for an 8th note pulse and divide it either into 8 notes grouping (120 bpm) or 6 notes grouping (80 bpm), the quarter notes pulse will fit the bpm value requested for the changes.
 
Actually I just remembered.. when I have to do a tempo transition in the middle of a song.. I think of it as 'where I want to land'.
For example, if you are playing at a medium tempo and you need to speed up over 'X' number of bars.. to land at a tempo that is say 10bpm faster.. you have to get used to the pace you need to take to get there and 'land' at the right speed.
 
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