In part 2 of this series I outlined four methods for using the metronome to build speed. There’s nothing wrong with giving your technique a workout, but the metronome is much more than a musical speedometer! I’ve often heard students brag about how fast they could play their scales or a particularly challenging lick. To which I might reply: “That’s great! But can you play it in time?”
Continue reading 'Metronome Techniques Part 3'...
Freeware application SmartClose automatically closes all of your running Windows programs with the click of a button, and can restore them at a later time.
If you don’t have a computer that’s dedicated only to recording and/or live performance, you can close all of your applications and kill all of those pesky background services in one fell swoop using this little tool. Once it’s run it’s course (which may take a minute or two) you’ll be ready to record or play knowing that you have 99% of your CPU’s power available for music making. Note that you’ll need to shutdown your firewall program manually. (Firewall programs are protected against remote programs turning them off.)
Now that we’ve covered the basics of how to use a metronome, you’re probably ready for some more advanced techniques. There are lots of approaches and I like to think they fall into two main categories: speed-building techniques and groove-building techniques. This time around we’ll be looking at four popular speed-builders that are especially great for working on those burning runs, sweep picking arpeggios, and just plain fast passages! If you need a metronome to practice with, visit my Student Resources page.
Continue reading 'Metronome Techniques Part 2'...
