

Each and every one of us is unique and irreplaceable. Humans are not known for being mechanical beings. I can certainly see how that argument might come up, but I don't necessarily agree that using a metronome would produce these results. Like it will replace your natural sense of rhythm and make your playing sterile. There's an argument out there that says you shouldn't use a metronome because it will make you sound robotic. You can get full-on guitar lessons over at Guitar Tricks.
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Here's a good general video on how to use a metronome: Or if you already know the chord progressions or have figured out the musical parts, simply play along with the song to practice (this is how we did it before the Internet!). When you know that, just set your metronome and play along. If you happen to be looking up some tabs for a song, sometimes you will find a note in the beginning of the score telling you what the tempo of the song is in the BPM format. This is really good for developing your soloing chops, but it can also be very helpful for chord changes and improving your finger dexterity. You should be able to play most of your practice material without mistakes, but once you start "messing up," stick on that BPM until you are playing your riffs clean and perfect. If you find the slow tempos to be too easy, set the metronome to a speed that feels just beyond your ability. Continue this process until you have reached your speed goal. Bump the tempo up by 4-6 beats per minute and repeat. Once you can consistently play your material perfectly at that speed, it's time to increase the tempo. Practice whatever you planned on, staying in time with the click of the metronome. The goal for this first tempo setting is to be able to play whatever it is you are practicing as close to perfect as possible. Set the metronome at something like 60 BPM, 4/4 time and single subdivision. If you are working on improving your speed, the best way to start is at a very slow tempo. OK, I hear you - who cares how it works if I don't know how to use a metronome?! I guess some audible examples of how to use a metronome will be helpful here, so there is a link with recorded examples below so you can hear what each sounds like. If you set the subdivision to 3 for triplets, there will be three clicks for each beat of the measure. If you set the subdivision to one (1), the metronome will play four clicks for the measure. Are you practicing to a straight beat (one click per beat) or something like triplet (three clicks per beat)? For example, if you are in 4/4 time, there are four beats in a measure and each beat is a quarter note. The subdivision determines how each beat pattern is broken down (see Metric Structure).

The first beat of the measure is usually accented (stressed using a different tone) so you know you have started a new measure. So to translate the 4/4 time signature, this means there are 4 beats in each measure, and each beat is a quarter note. Most popular music is in either 4/4 or 3/4 time.

The time signature of a song tells you how many beats are in a measure and what the value of each beat is. The lower the number, the slower the tempo of the song (or practice piece). Most metronomes will allow you to set the tempo as low as 40 BPM and up to 280 BPM. For most music, this is the only setting you need to worry about before practicing. Tempo is measured in " beats per minute," or BPM. You really only need to know three pieces of information to set it up before practicing. How To Use a MetronomeĪ metronome is a fairly simple device. It was first patented in 1815 and Beethoven is noted as one of the first composers to note metronome settings on his compositions. Musicians needed a consistent way to practice orchestral music so that when they came together to perform they would all play at the same tempo. Metronomes have been around for a long time. If you've ever heard a band playing that wasn't in time with each other, the music tends to sound disjointed, like each musician is doing their own thing. When you use it during practice or recording, the consistent beat will help you learn how to stay in time with the established tempo. Metronomes maintain a consistent tempo (speed). What is a Metronome?Ī metronome is a mechanical or electronic device designed to give you a basic beat to follow. I recently received an email recently saying that exact thing: isntructors tell you to use one, but they don't tell you how to use a metronome! You know what happens when people assume. Have you ever found yourself asking someone how to use a metronome? Most guitar instructors seem to assume a student knows how a metronome works (me included!), but that is not the case.
