I found this article on PremierGuitar.com and it's got some good tips. It's interesting to revisit the basics as far as learning guitar, particularly Bluegrass guitar since it is a challenging genre of guitar playing.
One thing I'm guilty of NOT doing is using a metronome when I practice. Do y'all use one? Or are you like me. It's really hard for me for some reason to use a metronome. I find it distracting for one thing, and it can be frustrating when you're trying to build up the speed. I understand the theory behind why it's good to use one, but that constant tick-tocking just really bugs me. 😒
https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/23404-commandments-of-bluegrass-guitar
I liked the article. I think CGO has the right content to practice everything it suggested. I have trouble using the metronome on stuff that is new to me because I'm usually trying to get chord changes down better.
I think I'm going to give the metronome another try. I'm working to get St. Anne's Reel down and I think that would be a good one to practice on with a metronome. I have a tendency to go fast through the parts I have down and then come to a screeching halt on the harder parts. Metronome helps even that out, I hope it does anyway.
The metronome is definitely good for figuring out the timing, but I too am guilty of rarely using one.
@shysue I think that means you're human. I try to work on the trouble spots until I can at least get through it at some speed. I just can't do the super slow metronome thing. It's like my fingers totally lose interest.
I have an app but I don’t use them much. Fender Play has one built into the lessons. Guitar Tabs has one built in too. Yousician has one. Hal Leonard has one too. So the 2 metronome apps I have downloaded don’t get much use. Needless to say, I am a tad bit Obsessive (not quite Compulsive but definitely Obsessive(in my best Dustin Hoffman (Rainman) impression voice))
I read some things in the article I do and some I don't. I never have used a metronome but probably I should do to improve my rhythm. Recently I started to record my own songs to get something to work to. I like it to have a nice recorded song at the end of the evening to send to my girlfriend. It believe that it really improved my playing and singing as you are trying every time to get it better.
thanks for the article 👍. I don’t use a metronome yet , maybe later it will be handy to speed up my playing
After I read that article I told myself I would try again, but I haven't done it. 🙄
I have an app called Time Trainer that has some nice features. there was a small charge for it if I remember correctly. Really all that's needed is a click metronome, but some people find it useful.
Many thanks Sue for this sharing. I have read it far earlier but did not have much time to write on it until today.
I agree with jrick92.These commandments are all inspiring and confort me in the idea we are in the right lesson.
Indeed, rhythm and speed issues are very well handled with mp3 add-ons Devin puts in his lessons and with the speed set up we can use with a loop on his video.
I admit to use them and abuse of them on Devin's Blue Grass Solo lesson series as I struggle to ask my fingers to find the correct speed. It is working pretty well on me. My favorite now is to try a higher speed and miss it. Them come to a slower speed to find it is easier at such speed. I renew the exercise daily increasing the speed at every session. And guess... my fingers run faster...
It saves me a metronome... so far.
Great article and thanks for sharing. I need a metronome. Anyone have a good one they use. I saw one that was an app but costs like $7/month. Seems like a lot. Thanks
@dan I have a free app on my phone that I use sometimes. Or if I'm sitting at my computer they're easy enough to Google and find. I used to have a battery powered one when I practiced piano but I sold it a long time ago.
@shysue Thanks Sue for the info!
