Anticipating and "playing into" changes – help please!

Passacaglia

This is an old thread. I feel pretty lost on this. I find myself tapping on every beat. I've a neuro issue such that tapping itself becomes an issue after a short while, so I've tried to learn to "swing" in my head, half the time, figuratively, half the time, literally....Jeff Raidach? Christine Tassan?

That's rhythm, where I spend 99% of my time. Lead? Forget it. I know it's not "difficult." It's "unfamiliar." But I'd love to find a training way forward for metronome, tapping, beats; for both rhythm and lead practice.

Passacaglia

Stuart, thanks. In my case, that's 2 & 4, typically, because that's what I practice...metronome beat is 2 & 4. Probably just need to step back, slow down, and do this.

Jazzaferri

Just to confuse things a bit....at speed...and with a number of tunes that call for it......I have a down motion usually with heel on 1 & 3, the down beats...and an emphasized up motion on the upbeats 2 & 4

Wayyyyy easier than trying to tap at anything over about 160.

Buco

Paul, you cold try smacking your tongue or something like that instead tapping your foot.
You know, some sort of human beat-box sound that would mimic foot tapping.

Old thread indeed but I do agree with Denis and importance of a good rhythm in playing the solo lines.

Passacaglia

Buco wrote:

Paul, you cold try smacking your tongue or something like that instead tapping your foot.
You know, some sort of human beat-box sound that would mimic foot tapping.

I tried that, but all I do is drool. It's OK on my gitane, what with the heavy poly and all, but that's not gonna fly on French varnish.

Buco

Maybe that's not bad, it'll make you more fluid.

Passacaglia

I find it easier to tap my foot when the metronome clacks - for me, that's 2 & 4. It's fairly hard for me to tap on 1 and 3 with the metronome on 2 & 4; I find my first/second and 3rd/4th beats get reversed, a percussive tendency on 1 and a crush-strings tendency on 2.

Anyway, apologies, off-topic. I think for know, I'll be trying to tap with the metronome, both taking place on 2 & 4.

jlander9

all the tap dancing aside... and i do agree with getting your beats and rhythms down tight (something I am still learning and struggling with), it seems to me you just need to slow it down, and think about whats going on, on your fret board....(again, something i am still learning and struggling with).
anthon_74 is right on...make up your own etudes..... think about how they work with the chords.....Gonzalo straight out says it in his book:
"...thinking about what we are playing is how i got through. You don't need to know music, you just need to memorize. think and play"

It takes time man... remember...we see the finished product not the actual production of our guitar heroes...."Cognitive Breathing Space" doesn't just happen from learning a couple of licks... it comes from practice, practice, practice, practice.... and fucking up a million times in between..... oh and more practice......in a few years you'll be rad....... 8)

wim

I'm almost convinced the foot thing for keeping in time is all just a myth .. on the one hand I've heard the gospel/dogma about how important it is from players I really respect .. Adrien, Gonzo, Emily Remler .. and then I've heard the contrary from other players I also really respect .. Benoit, Ian Date .. and then again I've seen guys like Angelo that play amazing stuff without moving any part of the body except the hands, they're just sitting there with maximum economy of motion.
At DIJ 2013 workshops Adrien says if the guys foot is not tapping in time it's a sign the ideas aren't clear in his head. And I watch him carefully in the concerts, sure enough his foot was like a metronome when his playing was clear, and any time he played something slightly sloppy in timing or execution his left foot goes a bit out of whack. So I guess it's true for him. But on the other hand look at the rosenbergs below, the feet are inconsistent - both of the guys - it's on and off .. and when they play something syncopated the feets are just going bananas and feeling the music, but they're not losing time one bit. You can't show me guys in better time than this, it's world class.
I can only conclude, maybe it helps for some but it's not essential.. and I don't think it's useful to force it if it doesn't come naturally. Better just to practice with a metronome or solid backing tracks

pinkgary

I think tapping your foot in time shows that you are consciously aware of where you & everything else is in the tune, and that can't help but be a good thing. But the goal is to DO IT... consciously, unconcisously, even as you're smoking, drinking & eyeing up women, it doesn't matter. DO IT enough 'till it is mastered. And then what your foot is doing doesn't really reflect how well you are playing, just how conscious your playing is.