How do you decide when to increase metronome speed?

lordofblades · 04-04-2008, 10:58 PM

Hi, I'm new here...

I'm not looking for a definitive answer of course...just wondering where you guys set the bar for increasing metronome speed.

Usually after I practice an exercise for a while and do not feel rushed at all, I try to play it for four minutes straight before I move the metronome up. Of course its not going to be 100% super-clean the whole time, but could it be? I'm usually happy if there are no major flaws and maybe a few minor flaws. Really tiny problems I try to fix but ultimately don't care about as much.

I just feel like if I could find absolutely no flaws (from a player's standpoint, not a listener's), it'd probably be luck.

stabwound · 04-04-2008, 11:07 PM

If it's something really hard that I can't play after a few minutes of practice, I take out the metronome, slow it way down, get it down comfortably at that speed, then move the tempo up little by little.

I should add though, I don't really run through exercises anymore, I do this when I'm learning a difficult song.

ResetInput · 04-07-2008, 07:20 PM

I figured out i progress quicker if i just make some drums in cubase and play with those instead of a metronome.

AllP0werToSlaves · 04-08-2008, 11:58 AM

When you are comfortable with the current speed.

Subjugate · 04-08-2008, 12:50 PM

yea when youre comfortable.

Play it at a slow speed for a while. Then when that speed is real easy and youre doing it nearly effortlessly, put the metronome up a bit.

modern death · 04-08-2008, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllP0werToSlaves

When you are comfortable with the current speed.

Should be pretty obvious. If you're struggling at the current speed, why would you increase it?

RobertsTheCoolest · 04-08-2008, 02:52 PM

When I have a guitar lessons, my teacher and I would run through a lead of a song a couple times without it, then take out the nome and put it around 80bpm and increase it by about 5 every couple of minutes til I start to struggle

whiteworms · 04-08-2008, 04:45 PM

when it's as clean as you want it and you're totally relaxed while playing it, bump it up a little.

BZM · 04-11-2008, 01:23 AM

practice until the movements become natural to your hands. the most important thing is striving towards making every part of your playing effortless, no matter how fast or how slow.

Anti-Christ666 · 12-24-2008, 05:46 PM

You know its time to move up the speed when you can turn off the metronome in the middle of practicing and hold that tempo.

fragmentaryEvidence · 01-21-2009, 11:36 PM

You can also set it at a tempo that would be always be increasing, and don't look till you're feeling uncomfortable. That way you'll have a kind of a reference point that can be treated as a goal ...

Naitz · 01-26-2009, 10:44 AM

For myself I've noticed that it's better not to just use a slow increase in tempo over practicing time, but to set it in intervalls: Play at comfortable speed until it really flows, then go up in 1 bpm steps at every repetition until you reach the point where you hardly can hit the notes (so it's a little sloppy). Then turn it back massively, at realy slow tempo (try hole quartes, eights, and triplets on 40 bpm, it's much harder than you'd imagine to play at so low tempo) and go up again.

fragmentaryEvidence · 01-26-2009, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaitsabesWinklersson

For myself I've noticed that it's better not to just use a slow increase in tempo over practicing time, but to set it in intervalls: Play at comfortable speed until it really flows, then go up in 1 bpm steps at every repetition until you reach the point where you hardly can hit the notes (so it's a little sloppy). Then turn it back massively, at realy slow tempo (try hole quartes, eights, and triplets on 40 bpm, it's much harder than you'd imagine to play at so low tempo) and go up again.

Yeah, that's kill. Also, practising on a loud clean channel for hearing your ''mistakes'' is not bad ...

SlipkyesBass · 02-01-2009, 12:37 PM

I just start with a comfortable tempo and don't change it all day, just repeat like a motherfucker while watching soccer matches or shit like that, then the next day I put the tempo up a tiny bit, between 2 or 5 bpm so I will barely notice the difference and get it quickly. Repeat. Next day 2/5 bpm more, if you practice every day in a month you have that excercise nailed easily. That's my way to do it

jimereth · 02-12-2009, 09:10 AM

Turn the metronome off, turn the distortion right up on your amp, play it as fast as you can, then play it twice that fast, and bluff the bits that are too hard.

Nolly · 02-21-2009, 10:06 PM

I find my maximum comfortable speed for a given lick, then take back the bpm by 4 or 5 and practise the lick every day for a week at that tempo, concentrating on getting it as smooth and consistent as possible. I don't try and push any faster at any point during the week. After the week has passed, I find that my maximum speed has increased noticeably.

It is nearly impossible to eliminate errors completely, but regular practise at slower-than-flat-out tempos will improve consistency a massive amount.

04-04-2008, 10:58 PM	#1
lordofblades Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 6 Rep Power: 0	How do you decide when to increase metronome speed? Hi, I'm new here... I'm not looking for a definitive answer of course...just wondering where you guys set the bar for increasing metronome speed. Usually after I practice an exercise for a while and do not feel rushed at all, I try to play it for four minutes straight before I move the metronome up. Of course its not going to be 100% super-clean the whole time, but could it be? I'm usually happy if there are no major flaws and maybe a few minor flaws. Really tiny problems I try to fix but ultimately don't care about as much. I just feel like if I could find absolutely no flaws (from a player's standpoint, not a listener's), it'd probably be luck.

02-21-2009, 10:06 PM	#16
Nolly Flaps Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bath, UK Posts: 139 Rep Power: 6	I find my maximum comfortable speed for a given lick, then take back the bpm by 4 or 5 and practise the lick every day for a week at that tempo, concentrating on getting it as smooth and consistent as possible. I don't try and push any faster at any point during the week. After the week has passed, I find that my maximum speed has increased noticeably. It is nearly impossible to eliminate errors completely, but regular practise at slower-than-flat-out tempos will improve consistency a massive amount. Last edited by Nolly; 02-21-2009 at 10:11 PM..

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04-04-2008, 11:07 PM	#2
stabwound Corpsefiend Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: California Posts: 4,772 Rep Power: 13	If it's something really hard that I can't play after a few minutes of practice, I take out the metronome, slow it way down, get it down comfortably at that speed, then move the tempo up little by little. I should add though, I don't really run through exercises anymore, I do this when I'm learning a difficult song.

04-07-2008, 07:20 PM	#3
ResetInput Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 373 Rep Power: 7	I figured out i progress quicker if i just make some drums in cubase and play with those instead of a metronome.

04-08-2008, 11:58 AM	#4
AllP0werToSlaves Riff-tastic Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 2,936 Rep Power: 9	When you are comfortable with the current speed.

04-08-2008, 12:50 PM	#5
Subjugate Constant motion Join Date: May 2007 Location: Greenvale, Long Island. NY Posts: 1,750 Rep Power: 8	yea when youre comfortable. Play it at a slow speed for a while. Then when that speed is real easy and youre doing it nearly effortlessly, put the metronome up a bit.

04-08-2008, 02:52 PM	#7
RobertsTheCoolest Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: California Posts: 1,808 Rep Power: 7	When I have a guitar lessons, my teacher and I would run through a lead of a song a couple times without it, then take out the nome and put it around 80bpm and increase it by about 5 every couple of minutes til I start to struggle

04-08-2008, 04:45 PM	#8
whiteworms Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 220 Rep Power: 9	when it's as clean as you want it and you're totally relaxed while playing it, bump it up a little.

04-11-2008, 01:23 AM	#9
BZM desolate Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Kennewick Posts: 16,039 Rep Power: 25	practice until the movements become natural to your hands. the most important thing is striving towards making every part of your playing effortless, no matter how fast or how slow.

12-24-2008, 05:46 PM	#10
Anti-Christ666 Psychoheretic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: United States Posts: 60 Rep Power: 5	You know its time to move up the speed when you can turn off the metronome in the middle of practicing and hold that tempo.

01-21-2009, 11:36 PM	#11
fragmentaryEvidence atonal madness Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: West suburbs of Montreal Posts: 14 Rep Power: 0	You can also set it at a tempo that would be always be increasing, and don't look till you're feeling uncomfortable. That way you'll have a kind of a reference point that can be treated as a goal ...

01-26-2009, 10:44 AM	#12
Naitz Grim Fandango Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Holy Roman Empire Posts: 4,835 Rep Power: 12	For myself I've noticed that it's better not to just use a slow increase in tempo over practicing time, but to set it in intervalls: Play at comfortable speed until it really flows, then go up in 1 bpm steps at every repetition until you reach the point where you hardly can hit the notes (so it's a little sloppy). Then turn it back massively, at realy slow tempo (try hole quartes, eights, and triplets on 40 bpm, it's much harder than you'd imagine to play at so low tempo) and go up again.

02-01-2009, 12:37 PM	#14
SlipkyesBass ChavezBass Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: A Coruña, Spain Posts: 1,822 Rep Power: 6	I just start with a comfortable tempo and don't change it all day, just repeat like a motherfucker while watching soccer matches or shit like that, then the next day I put the tempo up a tiny bit, between 2 or 5 bpm so I will barely notice the difference and get it quickly. Repeat. Next day 2/5 bpm more, if you practice every day in a month you have that excercise nailed easily. That's my way to do it

02-12-2009, 09:10 AM	#15
jimereth Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 72 Rep Power: 6	Turn the metronome off, turn the distortion right up on your amp, play it as fast as you can, then play it twice that fast, and bluff the bits that are too hard.