Backbeat

There is no substitute for practicing with a metronome! Nobody has perfect timing; this is a skill that must be developed. You can't do this without a mechanical "referee," a good metronome. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a decent one either!

We like the Seiko SQ-50 for it's woodblock-like tone, although there are a number of other models of varying sophistication around the JazzMando Research Facilities. (We'll mention other options, later...)

A helpful metronome technique is to set the metronome at 60 beats per minute, and think of the click as a woodblock (or better, Hihat cymbal) and hear 1, 2, 3, 4, emphasizing beats 2 and 4 as the backbeat. In other words, the silence between clicks become beats 1 & 3, the metronome click is the audible 2 & 4. (Of course, you can vary the tempo faster or slower, but this is a good place to start.)

This space also gives you time to hear what your doing, and the metronome becomes the "reference point," rather than a proactive rhythmic drive, putting more pressure on you, the player to develop your own good sense of time.

Posted by Ted at September 1, 2005 12:48 PM