What exactly is bpm?

Cranky

Sorry if this has already been asked.

I'm confused about what "bpm" is and how to use it to gauge my own progress.  I struggle a lot with picking speed (and with tension), so I'd like a better understanding of how to practice and improve using a metronome.  If I alternate pick at 200 bpm, but I play it in half notes (aka I pick the string 8 times in 4 beats), what exactly is that called?  If I play quarter notes at 120 bpm, what is that called?  Is there a general bpm rate that a player should strive for?  I've always been a slower and melodic player, which is fine with me, but I'd be lying if I said my lack of speed and dexterity didn't bother me also.

Beside tension, I am left-handed but play guitar right-handed, so I wonder if picking with my non-dominant hand is an inherent problem.  It's not only picking, though; I also cannot write or even scribble back and forth very fast with either hand.  Any practice tips, even drills that don't involve a guitar?

Musicwolf

bpm, beats per minute, is the number of quarter notes (crotchets) in 60 seconds.  120bpm would probably be described as 'Allegro' on a piece of sheet music? (I don't read music so to me Allegro means a very unreliable British Leyland car from the 1970's).

You could set a metronome to 100 bpm and play a piece with the click counting the quarter notes or double the tempo and play exactly the same piece, at the same speed, with the click on the 1/8th notes (or halve the tempo with 2 clicks per measure).

Probably the best way to improve, aside from practice, is to get a lesson with a reputable teacher as they should spot, and be able to correct, any deficiencies in your playing technique.  During this year I re-learned my pick grip after 40 odd years and it made a huge difference to my speed (no, I didn't use a teacher but this is do as I say, not do as I do).

BahHumbug

I think the OP might be confused about half, quarter notes etc.

the fractional note lengths are all referenced to a bar of 4 beats.  Hence if you pick 4 times in 4 beats you are playing quarter notes - each note isa quarter of a bar.  Quarter notes at 120 bpm would be 120 notes per minute.

Half notes would be picking 2 times in 4 beats.  Half notes at 200 bpm would be 100 notes per minute.

If you pick 8 times in 4 beats you are playing eighth notes.  Eighth notes at 200 bpm, which I think is what you are asking, would be 400 notes per minute.

16 times in 4 beats (4 notes per beat) would be 16th notes.

and so on.

Picking speed is what you need it to be for the music you want to play, and is governed by what you like to play and the practice you have done.  I’ve been playing for 37 years now and have a grade 8 on guitar, have played in bands for most of that time, but my picking is pretty slow - I struggle to play a scale in 16th notes any faster than 96bpm (384 notes per minute).  It bothers me a bit, but I don’t come across much music that needs faster picking than that.
There are others on here, who have put the work into faster picking, but I guess it comes from a genuine curiosity and drive to emulate the likes of EVH, Malmsteen etc.

merlin

Bear in mind also that not all bars are 4 beats in length. A bar of 3/4 is three beats in length. 2/4 is two beats. 5/4 is five... 

The term quarter note refers to the fact that it is a quarter the length of a semi breve (the open note with no tail) which is also known as a whole note. It's also possible to have more than one semi breve per bar. 2/1 is 8 crotchets, but only 2 beats. 

Cranky

BahHumbug said:

I think the OP might be confused about half, quarter notes etc.

the fractional note lengths are all referenced to a bar of 4 beats.  Hence if you pick 4 times in 4 beats you are playing quarter notes - each note isa quarter of a bar.  Quarter notes at 120 bpm would be 120 notes per minute.

Half notes would be picking 2 times in 4 beats.  Half notes at 200 bpm would be 100 notes per minute.

If you pick 8 times in 4 beats you are playing eighth notes.  Eighth notes at 200 bpm, which I think is what you are asking, would be 400 notes per minute.

16 times in 4 beats (4 notes per beat) would be 16th notes.

and so on.

Picking speed is what you need it to be for the music you want to play, and is governed by what you like to play and the practice you have done.  I’ve been playing for 37 years now and have a grade 8 on guitar, have played in bands for most of that time, but my picking is pretty slow - I struggle to play a scale in 16th notes any faster than 96bpm (384 notes per minute).  It bothers me a bit, but I don’t come across much music that needs faster picking than that.
There are others on here, who have put the work into faster picking, but I guess it comes from a genuine curiosity and drive to emulate the likes of EVH, Malmsteen etc.

Oh I'm definitely confused. 

I get that "half" and "quarter" etc are relative to the established time signature.  I don't understand, though, how fast I'm playing in "bps" terms, though.  If my metronome is set at 4/4 and 180 bps and I'm able to half each beat, how fast is that?

BahHumbug

If you’re playing at 180 bpm and are able to ‘half each beat’ (I assume you mean you can play two notes for each beat), then those are eighth notes (or quavers in British parlance).  You would be playing at 180bpm, but you would playing 360 notes per minute.