Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Problems playing with a metronome?

#1

Everyone says that in order to progress, you must practice with a metronome. I had tried and tried and tried and just couldn’t get the hang of it. I ran across the PETERSON BODY BEAT PULSE SOLO METRONOME at Ben’s General Store and thought that I’d give it a shot.

You plug the Body Beat into the earphone jack on your metronome, phone app, or computer. Then you clip the Body Beat on your clothing and it vibrates on every beat (it’s like having someone tap you on every beat). I was skeptical, but it works for me.

It’s magic… I can now play with a metronome and it seems that I’m playing better now. Hope it works as well for you as it does for me. BTW… in my 66 years this is one of the few product reviews that I’ve written.

https://store.banjobenclark.com/products/peterson-body-beat-pulse-solo-metronome

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#2

Wow, thanks! I’ve not even tried that product but I need to!

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#3

For a guy who has a hard time listening to something other than my banjo when playing, that sounds like a very interesting gadget!

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#4

I have trouble playing with a metronome… always have and been playing for over 40 years! I think the problem (and may be for other folks as well) is that’s it’s not musical. I have no trouble whatsoever playing to a backing track, a group of other pickers or even a drum machine.

There’s just something about the sound of a block of wood being tapped on with a little hammer that deters me from being able to play in time! And that would be the nicest of the metronome tones. The digital ticks and especially the beeps are just appalling!

Sorry, but we’re playing music… Why shouldn’t the timing tool be musical as well!

I don’t know what this Peterson Body Beat thing is but if it works for you, then that’s a win and another step in improving! Glad you found something that works for you!

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#5

That’s pretty cool - I hadn’t seen it but I can see how it would work well for internalizing the beat. I think that’s the key to metronome practice - developing that steady timing.

I am better keeping time with a backing track than a metronome. I find it easier to have the metronome click on every quarter note. But I’ve noticed that I get dependent on the click - as things speed up I’m chasing the click, so to speak. I’ve tried to reduce the click from quarter notes to half notes to break this habit and so far it’s helping.

Stephen

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#6

@cassell90 Hope that all is well and that we run into each other at another Cabin Camp. Knowing what we know now, I think we could win the Battle of the Bands! :slight_smile: Don’t you?

You mentioned “internalizing the beat”. That’s an interesting concept. I was speaking with Geoff Hohwald a couple of weeks ago about metronomes and timing. He said that he can physically “feel” the beat in his abdomen. He said that there is a way to develop this ability; tap your foot to a metronome for 10 minutes a day (no instrument, just tapping your foot). Eventually you’ll be able to “feel” it. Whether or not that works, I don’t know. However, the Body Beat tool accomplishes the same thing.

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#7

Chris- me too! I still show the video of our songs to anyone who will watch!

I’m going to try that foot tapping exercise. I was proud of my self the other day - I use my an app on my phone for a metronome and was playing along when someone called. The audio for the metronome cut out while the phone rang. I kept on playing and let it roll to voice mail. When the audio reverted back to the metronome I was pretty close!

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#8

@cassell90 sounds like you have some mad metronome skills. Good for you!