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General music tips and questions Ask questions or share tips about instruments, playing, writing music, or other music-related topics. |
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Helpful hints for keeping a steady tempo
Howdy friends,
In a recent conversation with another musician friend, I was reminded of the importance of keeping a steady tempo. This is essential if you're playing with others, and time keeping should not be relegated to the rhythm section. In moving from a "good" to a "solid" band, all the musicians really should be keeping the time. In light of that necessity, I'm sharing here part of the email that I sent him, in the hope that others may find it helpful, and as a reminder to myself to periodically repeat these exercises for my own musicianship ------------------------------------ It’s really easy to start speeding up, especially for “exciting” passages. I’ve found that doing various permutations with a metronome or Composer during my practice times really helps a lot with internalizing a steady tempo. They all have to do with slowing down the metronome and still playing in time, because it forces you to internalize the tempo better. Slowing down to get better timing may seem counterintuitive at first, but it really works! ----------------------1. Set the metronome at a comfortable pace (eg. 90) and play scales or intervals or something. Then, set the metronome slower (not faster) by about a third (eg. set it at 60). Now play the exercises again. It’s actually more difficult to play it properly slower, but it also helps you to internalize the tempo better. Continue to play the exercise til you nail the tempo consistently, then repeat by slowing down by a third or so again. Play the exercise. If you have practice tips or tricks that you find helpful, please feel free to post them here or in a separate thread. I'm sure we'll all benefit from each other's help! ttfn, Sherry
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