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Metronome Strategies

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  • Posts: 5,018

    Hopefully you've found the way to the article, that was the real intention. Discussion around it is cool too.

    Here just in case


    JDRooke
    Every note wants to go somewhere-Kurt Rosenwinkel
  • geese_comgeese_com Madison, WINew 503
    Posts: 475

    I too have been trying the metronome practice mentioned in The Practice of Practice. It is definitely working for me.


    One thing to be aware of though is that you need to keep technique the same, slow or fast. If wanting to get faster and more accurate, use the "fast technique" when playing slowly. The technique needs to be the same. Otherwise you are practicing and reinforcing two different things.

    JSantaBucoJDRookeBillDaCostaWilliams
  • JDRookeJDRooke New
    Posts: 87

    Actually, I mistakenly was thinking of a different thread of yours without looking. Article noted.

    Buco
  • Posts: 5,018

    The book Effortless Mastery says something like this: a complete performance is a four sided diamond shape. Those are effortless, speed, accuracy and length. The goal is that all four come together only during an actual performance. But when you practice you only ever put together three of them at once.

    So while practicing

    1 effortless, slow, accurate while playing the whole piece

    2 effortless, fast, accurate while playing small manageable chunks

    3 effortless, fast while playing the whole piece but drop the accuracy side at this point

    So stress is always on effortless, whatever you do. Even if you're making mistakes, as in the 3rd example, you should still feel relaxed about it and feel it as effortless.

    JDRookeMichaelHorowitz
    Every note wants to go somewhere-Kurt Rosenwinkel
  • bbwood_98bbwood_98 Brooklyn, NyProdigy Vladimir music! Les Effes. . Its the best!
    Posts: 681

    OK, Finally, Jumping in on this . . .

    Some thoughts (note, I am primarily a rhythm guy): It's been mentioned that we need to play like a 'watch', and using the metronome can help in playing our rhythm in time. . . I use it several ways, on 1, on 1 and 3, on 2 and 4, and on all four beats, plus a wide and varied set of upstroke, accent, and fill exercises that go on any pulse in a measure (and thus are moved through various beats in 'drills' both on single chords and in progressions). A few thoughts on these - whenever you are practicing this - keep your regular rhythm as quiet as you can, so your accents and whatever show up with presence, and practice staying relaxed at all tempos - frankly for me some songs are easier then others . . not really sure why.

    Another thing that I notice is when we get together and play, various people pull the time slower or faster. Its always good to be able to counteract this and hold the time in a group to the starting pulse or just a tiny bit quicker. So I spend a lot of time playing just ahead or just behind the metronome to get the feel of this, in front but just, behind, but just . . .

    Also, several folks have mentioned this, but I agree with the Kenny warner book, slower for accuracy, and if you work slowly, when its time to go fast your body should remember . . . unless you tense up!

    Bon chance you all!

    Bucobillyshakes
  • NylonDaveNylonDave Glasgow✭✭✭ Perez Valbuena Flamenca 1991
    Posts: 462

    Sometimes it is nice to play with a friend and the metronome and start slowly. Eventually the metronome becomes a friend too.


    D.

    BucoJDRooke
  • JDRookeJDRooke New
    Posts: 87

    More discussion of slow practice from some classical violin folk:

    Debate on how best to harness slow practice from The Strad Archive

    https://www.thestrad.com/10-views-on-the-benefits-of-slow-practice/18.article

    MichaelHorowitzBuco
  • Posts: 5,018

    @JDRooke great article, thanks. Few of those views especially clicked with me.

    JDRooke
    Every note wants to go somewhere-Kurt Rosenwinkel
  • Posts: 5,018

    I went back and reread this thread because I recently had sort of revelation about the metronome practice.

    Recently I started using the metronome again when I noticed that playing with it sort of brings the feeling of playing a live gig, puts the same kind of pressure. Even if I use the same tempo as the backing track I'd normally use on a song where I feel comfortable. And it felt good to practice this way.

    Backing track is a crutch in a sense, it provides a harmonic content which makes it easier to play through the changes. With the metronome you have to create a harmonic content yourself with what you play.

    Then a few days ago, on a whim I set the metronome on 2/4. And this time it felt different than ever before. I was able to relax more during the up-tempo songs. That space that dropped beats created made it less hectic and that had a positive impact on my playing. And it felt easier to stay in the pocket. I'll have to record myself to double check but the groove kinda did the work for me in a way, I just went along with it. We'll see if I stick with it, I have a habit of slipping back to the backing tracks. But this time practice with the metronome doesn't feel like a chore.

    Every note wants to go somewhere-Kurt Rosenwinkel
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