Sunday, 8 April 2012

How to improve timing when playing guitar!!

Timing is very important when playing guitar as it is when playing any instrument. When we play guitar our aim is to keep our playing in time with the underlying pulse. If you've ever recorded in a studio you will know it reveals all your timing faults, if not the best idea is obviously to get your timing down before entering the studio environment. But how do you improve on this crucial skill? There are a few ways to improve on your timing and that's what I'm going to talk about.

When I started playing guitar the main way I learnt songs was to play along to a cd, this did help me with my timing and I would suggest total beginners start with this method as it will help with your timing and also with your general guitar playing as you will be playing over the guitar on the cd.

Another way to improve your timing is to use a metronome. This is one of the most effective ways to improve your timing as you are keeping time with a click, the main thing to remember when using a metronome is to start off slow and gradually work your way up. This is because your playing will ultimately be sloppy if you rush and don't start slow. Get into the habit of always using a metronome when playing as you will notice in as little as a couple of weeks how much better your timing is getting. The trick is to start slow, although the speed you begin at will ultimately depend on the piece you are learning. Using a metronome is also very important when it comes to learning how to shred and soloing because if you ever want to play that fast and not sloppy then you will have to solw everything down to a level you can work at and work your speed up.

In my opinion the most fun way of improving your timing is playing in a band with other musicians. This not only improves your timing but is also the first step in getting yourself ready for gigging. There's a big difference between playing along to a metronome and playing with various members of a band and only playing with a band can give you the experience you need to make it in this industry.

I would recommend to use all these methods where appropriate as they will all help your timing in one way or another and will all help you in achieving your aim of perfect timing effortlessly and feeling the pulse of the music.

Happy playing everybody!!

No comments:

Post a Comment