Originally Posted by: FingerSpasmI have been confused a little on Metronome use. I use mine to get my right and left hand in sync. So I will start at say 100 bpm and then have it increase 10 bpm every 20 seconds until it hits max. I will play one note for every beat. Here is where I get confused and this is because I have only been playing about 18 months and am self taught. Guys like Petrucci say he always uses a metronome and then I shreds a 9 billion beats per minute solo. How in the heck to you use a metronome for that! Does he fit so many notes in between every beat of the Metronome? I would really Like to see a lesson on how to properly do this kind of thing? I am sure after I finally have it explained to me and I understand it I will feel silly. But for now its a little confusing to me.

Well--and this is just MY opinion, so let's keep it in that context--you usually don't play quarter notes with a metronome if you are working on your 'shred' skills. What you do is start really really really slow, and play sixteenth notes---four to a beat. When you start really slow, make sure to just be able to play sixteenths at that tempo perfectly. Don't increase the metronome speed until you can play all your scales, arpeggios, and for some--improvisations---at that speed, utilizing sixteenths as the fastest note duration. Think about every single note, and try to isolate every finger's movement as best you can while at the same time eliminating any excess tension in how you hold your arms and hands and force you apply to the frets.

Then, when you can play at that tempo without any effort whatsoever--perfectly in time, in tune, and with perfect technique*---move the metronome forward.

Just continue doing this until the metronome is cranked up to around 240 bpm and you'll be a world-class next gen virtuoso. That's how all the fastest players did, and that's why you can do it to. Just takes practice. Lots and lots of practice.


*This varies depending on who you talk to. Just try to do what feels comfortable for you, but also eliminates all excess motions---no sense in having your pinky flip flopping everywhere if you're trying to play at Petrucci speeds, eh?

The reason I suggest practicing sixteenths is just because they readily become other note denominations. They can function as 32nds and as sextuplets at different tempos, and are generally the note that guitar solos revolve around.

With all that said---it's just an opinion, a certain approach---if there's something else that sounds better to you than what I described, then do it!