The Case Against Metronomes
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of metronomes. So why on earth would I make a case against my trusty timekeeper?
Let’s jump right into the analogy...
If you want to get better at playing basketball, you do drills to improve your dribbling, your jump shot, your layups, etc. Maybe you even go to the gym and do some squats and lunges.
All of those exercises are akin to working with a metronome in that they’re useful for practicing…by yourself.
But what’s missing in both scenarios is disruption. Disruption caused by forces outside yourself.
Sounds dramatic, but all I’m referring to is an opponent or bandmate who plays in a way that you don’t control and can’t predict.
You see, a metronome is consistent and thus predictable, which is helpful because it allows you to focus on what you’re playing and keep perfect time.
But in a real-life playing situation, that dependable tempo-anchor is nowhere to be found, and you’re much more likely to get distracted and thrown off by what everyone else is playing, especially if they’re rhythmically savvy.
What’s a musician to do? Go play with real people!
I’m only kidding. Who sees real people these days anyway?
Here’s a more practical, Covid-friendly technique that I’ve been using since high school when social distancing was more a consequence of me spending all of my free time in the band room practicing. (So many friends!)
This approach is a simple idea but extremely effective. Not a lot of people do it, so I want to make sure you’re aware:
Play along with your favorite records.
I’m not talking about transcribing here. I’m talking about jamming along with the band that’s playing on the recording.
The possibilities are endless: Play around with the melody. Improvise a solo. Come up with your own background parts. It doesn’t really matter. The point is that you’re playing along with a groove and other musical content that is more dynamic than a metronome.
Please give it a try. It’s fun, and you’ll internalize a lot of what you’re playing along with on a subconscious level.
And if you’re still not sure what to play, remember that you can’t go wrong with chord tones. But please, don’t just play random chord tones and hope for the best. Create lines that are actually musical. Lines that are melodic and rhythmically interesting.
Most musicians practice playing with chord tones and sound like a music theory textbook. Don’t do that.
Instead, check out my chord tone etude book, Chord Tone Magic, to see how I create chord tone solos over popular jazz standards like Blue Bossa, Moment’s Notice, and Spain.
In fact, you could even play the etudes along with the original recordings of the standards to hear how it all fits together.
Get to it and happy shedding!
https://go.jeffschneidermusic.com/chord-tone-magic
Jeff