Timing problems when playing a piece of music

[rickroads]

Hi all,

 

I am having timing issues when playing a piece of music. I tend to speed up my playing and then I find it hard to change chords because I am playing too fast. I am in my second year in playing with a guitar instructor/teacher and I get frustrated because my timing is off. I do use a metronome and it helps somewhat, and I tap my foot to keep the beat, but I find myself falling back into playing music piece too fast. Just wondering if any other guitarist had a timing issue and how you solved it. Thank you.

 

Rick

[Danocoustic]

Yes, Rick, I have this issue too. A metronome helps, sure, but it's not very practical when performing, or when it's not around.

 

For me, being aware of the issue and mindful of keeping a constant tempo is about all I can do.

 

Like most everything that has to do with music---practice, practice, practice.

 

Best of luck, and welcome to HCAG (don't recall seeing you before).

[catscurlyear]

i`m guilty of that ,i think i can do it in the parts of a tune that is easier to play and i start to get a bit impatient at that point and hurry to the harder part but by the time i get there i`m going too fast.. i think depending what type of piece of music you are playing , if the piece has lyrics, even if your not a singer try learnn the words and sing along with what you are playing if the words appear rushed then you can pull it back .like danacoustic says .just be aware of it ,, even try slowing right down at any given point in the tune it will show how well you know a piece if you can slow it right down and still play accurate .even have a reminder written down on a piece of paper in front of you watch your tempo because it is easy to just speed off ,just play as if it was a performance and not an exercise. good luck

[Idunno]

I find a meter I'm comfortable with and stay with it. Flying solo, it doesn't matter if my speed, usually faster, matters. You see, if a gun is at my head to play Somespot Over The Rainbow, my meter has advantages over the composer's.

 

I learn that way as well. Typically I have the progression in my head before I touch a string. Then I choose a pitch that provides the easiest chord changes. Then, I find the highest and lowest notes of the piece. Once I have that mapped out I've learned what the most difficult parts of the piece are and iron those out first. I don't need to run umpteen many times through the easy parts. That kind of repetition is a formula for making the piece odious before knowing it well enough to play it fluidly. Anyone can race a car straight. It's that bit about turning (left, popularly speaking) that requires some study.

 

So, if you might consider it, hang up the easy stuff and make a study of what you can't do as well. Get them fluid and then connect the dots.

 

 

[DeepEnd]

If there's a video or .mp3 of the piece available you can play along with it. In the case of an .mp3 you can use Audacity to slow it down to a speed you can handle or change the pitch if necessary. I have a fairly low voice and there are songs I can't sing in the original key. If you have the sheet music and you're patient you can enter it into MuseScore and vary the playback speed. I've done both at different times when learning songs.

[1001gear]

If there's a video or .mp3 of the piece available you can play along with it. In the case of an .mp3 you can use Audacity to slow it down to a speed you can handle or change the pitch if necessary. I have a fairly low voice and there are songs I can't sing in the original key. If you have the sheet music and you're patient you can enter it into MuseScore and vary the playback speed. I've done both at different times when learning songs.

 

This. Get and assimilate a slowdowner into your practice. I use Transcribe!. (the exclamation is a trademark thing for like Google etc.) Transcribe is the most complete utility of its kind but there are a couple others too and many that offer just the slowdown features. Invaluable stuff.

 

 

[Grant Harding]

I've found the key to be learning songs at a slow tempo (with feeling) and NEVER speed up until you can do it without making any mistakes and cleanly fretting each note.

 

Most people break this rule and it just makes for sloppiness.