Timing is such a pain in the arse - I feel like it's the key difference between an okay player and a great player. I love watching guys who can sit in the groove and wheel off licks that just work. Then I try and do it and it all goes horribly wrong. Even when recording, sometimes I can't believe how out of time I am even though, when playing, I was sure I was on the beat!
So I've been spending some time recently trying to improve my timing. It was never something I worked on when I started so I think I've bred a bad habit. But I'm working on it!
There's the obvious playing scales with a metronome and such, but what do you guys find works best when working on your timing? Simple stuff like playing 4th/8th/16th notes with a metronome, or something more interesting like jamming with a click or drum machine? I'd be very intrigued to hear what gets the best results.
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You want to play behind or in front of the beat to a degree, as do the guitarists I like, otherwise what is the point. Depends on the style though I guess. I use my leg and head, also playing different alternative patterns of 2's, 3's 4's, 6's etc. kind of ingrains timing and phrasing into your head, so when you play something fast you know how it relates without having to fall back on specific patterns. That really helped me anyway, more in terms of phrasing than timing, but then I'm not a big fan of modern metal and such that requires micrometre precision and I prefer to feel it and hook back in on the fourth bar.
If I had a metronome I'd use it as a drum machine and play off to it anyway. I don't think I could sit and practice with it. Although the former is probably what it is about anyway. I think it seeps in eventually.
Singing also helps you subconsciously develop it so you don't have to think about it, because you are singing a different notes to what you are playing, often the melody is completely different to the rhythm, so to that degree it's like playing a drum kit. My timing goes way off if I try and sing, until I have lots of beer. I'm not that good at singing though either, so it evens out.
Finger picking with a bassline helps you make sense of it too.
For high precision modern metal stuff that is fairly boring, I think practice and a metronome is probably in order, but most of it is about rhythms rather than timing.
Obviously playing along to records for 15 years helps develop your ears a lot too. If you've never done that, then it better to start there than a metronome as you'll learn to feel it better as everyone's timing varies in real life.
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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I can do it sometimes but really don't have any control over it - either it happens or it doesn't.
(this is for when playing with my mates - one of them has perfect on the beat timing but he's not good at relaxing it)
Any tips?
I can get a groove better on bass, even though I don't play bass much now.. why's that?
I agree with @Cirrus that delevoping a 'feel' for the 'pocket' takes a lot of work. Eventually it becomes innate - seemingly requiring no conscious thought.
Playing along to varied backing tracks and working with a great rhythm section all help hone your skill.