The Metronome and my misery

So this metronome thing is really confusing me. When should a metronome be used? Let me expand on what I'm trying to ask. For example, I use a metronome to practice technical stuff such as scales, speeding up my strumming, and all that. But when it comes to applying the use of a metronome to a song, I'm very very lost on where to start. For example, sheet music has the notes and timing given so you can open a metronome and practice it, slow it down a tempo and practice, but lets say I see this song in youtube which happens to not have any sheet music. I've figured out the bpm/tempo of the song and searched for a chord sheet with the lyrics. There is no tablature for this song. How would a metronome be effective in learning this song? Currently Im just using the song as a timekeeper and reference and learning it that way. But I hear people say all the time to use a metronome to learn song and for classical or sheet music with notes and tabs with timing is understandable, but for the situation I described, please help.

I can understand the use of a metronome to learn the song if lets say I come across a section and I know the tempo of the song, I slow it down in the metronome and practice it.

Please, someone, clarify further.

Hi and welcome

I use the metronome the same as you, but when I am playing to a jam track or with others I am trying to tune into what the bass player is doing. But I am a tag along player.

But someone with more experience will hopefully clarify this for both of us.

Anyway, good luck with your studies.

If you play along with you tube or a band then the drum is the metronome. With a band the drummer usually gives the count in ticks.

Herman

Originally Posted by: hsnoeckx

If you play along with you tube or a band then the drum is the metronome. With a band the drummer usually gives the count in ticks.

Herman

yes I know. Im talking about lets say Im at home learning a song by myself to sing along or like a fingerstyle song.

In that case you don't use a metronome simply because a recorded song with a life drum ( not drum software ) doesn't keep the tempo 100% perfect so the metronome and the song would go out of sync and that would be confusing and take your concentration away.

Herman

Originally Posted by: hsnoeckx

In that case you don't use a metronome simply because a recorded song with a life drum ( not drum software ) doesn't keep the tempo 100% perfect so the metronome and the song would go out of sync and that would be confusing and take your concentration away.

Herman

Understood.

Now lets say I am have trouble in a section of the song, how do you recommend to practice that part slowly?

I struggle with the same thing. A few tips from what has worked for me.

First off, if the song is on GT then it's easy to loop the challenging section of a song and play it back at a slower speed. I'll do that a dozen times or more until I feel like it's in me. Then I come back the next day and do the same thing. It's amazing what happens overnight or even after a couple days away from a challenging section.

If it's on youtube or eslsewhere I try and get an mp3 and slow it down with something like this free online tool. But no looping. So, this just takes doing what we used to do with tapes: play, rewind, repeat.

Maybe someone else can answer better, because I struggle with counting, but, if you can figure out the count for the section you can set a metronome to a slower bmp and practice playing the part with counting. Maybe it's highway to hell, for example, and you know the openning riff comes in on the and of three, set a metronome and practice that.

It seems I struggle with the timing of at least one section on a song I otherwise nail and I find it hard to isolate and practice that section. Mostly I just end up doing it a whole bunch until i work it out.

Another suggestion is to try software like Guitar Pro 4. Most songs can be had for it and it has a click and will look a section of a slong at a slower tempo.

Hope that helped. I hear you.

With YouTube you can change the playback speed or try the next tool, change playback speed, loop and even transpose mp3

http://bestpractice.sourceforge.net

Herman