Metronomized Freight Train by mbleier
Here is my attempt at finger picking with a metronome. I hope you enjoy my newly coined word. Feel free to incorporate it into your normal repertoire I look forward to all of the great feedback that I have been getting. I also wanted to share a thought that I had. On one of my last posts Ness said it is good to share where you are on a song. I thought about this and while these posts are works in progress I feel that they are just as much reflections of where I am as a player. I post a video when I have a song to the point where I feel I have it down. It is my general struggles with timing, phrasing, buzzing notes, and general musical abilitity that are displayed. I greatly look forward to the day where something I play actually has a polished feel to it. I'll keep playing and posting and incorporating your helpful feedback until that day arrives.
With that said...
Dennis - Thanks. I am working hard on the timing issues I have. The buzzing notes is something that I am always battling. I know to keep my fingers near the frets, I think it is actually more getting a good solid placement on the string.
With that said...
Dennis - Thanks. I am working hard on the timing issues I have. The buzzing notes is something that I am always battling. I know to keep my fingers near the frets, I think it is actually more getting a good solid placement on the string.
I think you are going about this in entirely the right way Mike. The metronome has greatly helped you to keep the timing which is critical to that "polished" result you are looking for. Well done. Oh and yes "metronomized" is an great word!
Yes it is great you put a video on were you think or feel you got it down,,you practice this the way it should be and came to a point were you certainly earn a review from the master and bring you further on your way..
well if you made mistakes it is better to add them right in this stadium,,the master can tell you..
well if you made mistakes it is better to add them right in this stadium,,the master can tell you..
Several comments:
1) Iove the sound of your guitar
2) Kudos to you for taking the time to practice with a metronome. I am fully aware of the benefits and importance of doing that, but just never get around to doing it.
3) great job on this. As you practice with it, you will be able to add some embellishments such as bass walkdowns, pull offs, hammerons, and additonal melody notes.
4) keep posting your videos. I'd like to see more of yours, as well everyyone else on this site, as hypocritical as that souinds. I will get one up before long.
1) Iove the sound of your guitar
2) Kudos to you for taking the time to practice with a metronome. I am fully aware of the benefits and importance of doing that, but just never get around to doing it.
3) great job on this. As you practice with it, you will be able to add some embellishments such as bass walkdowns, pull offs, hammerons, and additonal melody notes.
4) keep posting your videos. I'd like to see more of yours, as well everyyone else on this site, as hypocritical as that souinds. I will get one up before long.
I really think you're doing a fine job on this one and you are definitely going about it the right way. I had never in my life used a metronome before coming to this site, nor had I ever been told why I should even be considering doing that. I also avoided doing it even once coming here because I didn't think I needed it, my timing is usually ok. But now I have found that using it forces me to slow things down and play at a steady known rate because I have always had the tendency to try to speed up to actualy speed too soon even if I start slowly. The metronome forces me to stay at the speed I start at and has really helped me in some more complicated things I am working on. I have even started to use it on pieces I already know and found it is helping me clean those up as well. You are doing the right thing using it regularly.
I know you know about the things you need to work on so I won't bother repeating any of that, except to note that the baseball grip when doing the F chord is holding you back from getting that one I think. F was the chord that I had the most trouble with when first learning to play. Other than that and a little buzzing I think this is the best video I have seen of you playing to date. Really good work. Keep posting.
Scott
I know you know about the things you need to work on so I won't bother repeating any of that, except to note that the baseball grip when doing the F chord is holding you back from getting that one I think. F was the chord that I had the most trouble with when first learning to play. Other than that and a little buzzing I think this is the best video I have seen of you playing to date. Really good work. Keep posting.
Scott
Willem - I was very resistant like Jay talked about, but after getting a few videos up and the comments coming back, I knew I had to start using it. I would love to have another video reviewed by Neil, although I have been getting some great feedback from the members as well. Thanks for commenting.
Jay - Thanks for the great words of encouragement. The guitar has some meaning to me as well as just enjoying to play it. My mom purchased it two months (march 1979 ) after I was born. When I decided to start learning to play a few years ago she gave it to me since she had arthritis and couldn't play anymore. It is a Japanese luthier whose name escapes me at the moment. Also, thanks for the encouragement on posting. As I have stated before I felt like I was playing in a vacuum before I started uploading. I actually wanted to well before my first post but I struggled with technical issues with the site.
Scott - I also was never encouraged or really told to about metronomes before I came here. I stayed resistant for a while until I started posting videos and I finally had to admit that I had needed one. And then once I started using one that for me it added an extra thing to concentrate on and while it can help was almost another skill for me to learn to pay attention while I play (see I'd love to change the world video). I know it is going to be a huge learning tool for me now. As far as the baseball grip on the F goes, that is how I was taught to play the song. I am wrapping my thumb around to catch that first string. It is a bit of a tough reach because the nylon string guitar has the wider neck. When I am having a good day I often can get it clean, but it is easy to get to stretched out and end up with some buzzing notes. It certainly is the hardest part of the song because you need to get that bar chord. Thanks for taking the time to comment and the kind words as well.
Mike
Jay - Thanks for the great words of encouragement. The guitar has some meaning to me as well as just enjoying to play it. My mom purchased it two months (march 1979 ) after I was born. When I decided to start learning to play a few years ago she gave it to me since she had arthritis and couldn't play anymore. It is a Japanese luthier whose name escapes me at the moment. Also, thanks for the encouragement on posting. As I have stated before I felt like I was playing in a vacuum before I started uploading. I actually wanted to well before my first post but I struggled with technical issues with the site.
Scott - I also was never encouraged or really told to about metronomes before I came here. I stayed resistant for a while until I started posting videos and I finally had to admit that I had needed one. And then once I started using one that for me it added an extra thing to concentrate on and while it can help was almost another skill for me to learn to pay attention while I play (see I'd love to change the world video). I know it is going to be a huge learning tool for me now. As far as the baseball grip on the F goes, that is how I was taught to play the song. I am wrapping my thumb around to catch that first string. It is a bit of a tough reach because the nylon string guitar has the wider neck. When I am having a good day I often can get it clean, but it is easy to get to stretched out and end up with some buzzing notes. It certainly is the hardest part of the song because you need to get that bar chord. Thanks for taking the time to comment and the kind words as well.
Mike