Ack! I've lost my sense of timing...

[CyberFerret]

I've been posting here quite a bit recently, given that I have had a 15 or so year break since regular playing, my skills have rusted out somewhat.

I know I used to have a really good, solid sense of rhythm and timing. Since picking up the guitar again though, I have recorded myself playing against backing tracks and click tracks, and to my horror found that I frequently stray outside of the timing of the backing/drum tracks.

Especially when I try playing triplets or any runs. It seems that every three or four bars, I fall 'behind' the beat a little. I think that I actually stop listening to the beat while I try and focus on my playing. I'm not out by much, but enough to know that it sounds wrong and, well, not tight at all.

Any tips out there for working on my sense of timing again so that I can settle into a nice groove that actually matches what the drummer/band is doing?

Thanks!

[stevel]

Originally Posted by CyberFerret

I think that I actually stop listening to the beat while I try and focus on my playing. I'm not out by much, but enough to know that it sounds wrong and, well, not tight at all.

I would agree with your self-diagnosis. I have had this happen to myself as well on occasion. Personally, I think it comes from trying to do something you're either incapable of doing at X tempo, or concentrating too much on "trying to do something cool" rather than relax and let it flow.

For a solution, think less. That means if you're trying to incorporate cool or difficult things, you need to work them up outside of a playing situation, so that when you are playing, you can slip them in "naturally" rather than "forcing" them in.

Steve

[rob2001]

No real advice but I would share this.......I played with real drummers for 25 years and only in the last 5 or so years worked with backings or drum machines.

Real drummers and real bands play with elastic timing where a machine does not. Live music almost always has a push/pull thing happening at some point. Main chorus's ramp up a bit, or breakdown sections can drag a little. It's very subtle but it's there.

It may be possible you are not used to the perfect timing a machine provides. I recorded one song with a real drummer, and then again with a machine and the lack of push/pull was downright annoying!

Otherwise i'd think having it in the front of your mind when playing will eventually improve things with lots of reps.

[CyberFerret]

@stevel - Yes, you are right. I have been trying to learn new scales and style of alternate picking, and I think that at the moment I have ceased 'being present' to the music and am too focused to technique...I will try and practice technique separately so that it flows better in my usual style of playing.

@rob2001 - You've hit the nail on the head too! I've never experienced this problem when playing with a band or jamming with my buddies, yet playing with a 'perfect machine' timing, I seem to struggle. There's a lot to be said for the human element in a musical situation!

[driver8]

1. Get metronome.
2. Practice to the metronome.

[msr13]

Originally Posted by driver8

1. Get metronome.
2. Practice to the metronome.

I have horrible timing. I've been practicing a lot with a metronome and have seen extensive improvement. The other thing that has helped is tapping different rhythms I want to play on a table or my leg right before I play it on the guitar (obviously in a practice context). With or without a metronome. My instructor gave a few a pages of bass rhythms from an exercise book. Tedious to drill over and over, but again, along with the metronome really helped improve my timing with backing tracks and drums. Still not great, but I am certainly, on a relative scale, much much better.

[guitarjazz]

Originally Posted by driver8

1. Get metronome.
2. Practice to the metronome.

yes,yes, yes
That's why OP should play scales very slowly...not work on speed but to work on his time. Barney Kessell said people either practice scales not enough or too much!