Kinda outa time

[oldguy]

Does anybody else have this problem? I'm playing along to a metronome, backing track, whatever, record, play it back, then notice I'm just a little off the beat. It's really irritating, like being just a little out of tune. Is it just paranoia? Being too self-critical? Does it really matter, if I'm having a good time, regardless of being a little out of time? Should I wait to post a clip of my playing until I can figure it out? Nah...
Jump in there, brother Fretters...
If you wait until everything is just perfect, you'll never get anything done.
Practice to the best of your ability, learn to record the best you can, and get in there and get involved!!!
This place is about learning and jamming and having FUN!!!
Don't sit back and wait. Go for it! If you need some tips, go to Robert's Dolphinstreet and get some lessons.
But don't sit around waiting...time will pass you by.
Best wishes,
Glenn

PS

I know my part is out of time a little here, but listen to how much fun we all had doing this. Jump on in here, the water's fine.

http://www.box.net/public/5d832e488t

[marnold***]

Depends on your recording software. In Audacity, I have to time-shift my part ever so slightly to put it in time with the backing track. See this FAQ entry for the details.

[oldguy]

Thanks, Marnold, I'll check it out!

[Robert****]

Being in time is something that can be learned. It is a very important skill if you want to sound really good. Practice regularly to a drum beat or groove. It WILL give you better timing if you stick to it.

I used to have terrible timing when I was young. It has improved a lot since then (at least I hope so )

[Spudman***]

I thought it sounded fine. I didn't notice anything really glaring. Good playing and tone too.

One time I was getting frustrated because everything I was laying down, everything, was just a micro second behind the beat. I tried exercising and caffeine both to get revved up and to no avail. Then I calmed down, took the bullets out of my gun and looked at my recording program. I was monitoring incorrectly and was stuck in some strange latency netherworld dysfunctional loop. I finally figured out how to set it correctly and my timing seemed to improve...or maybe it was just a coincidence.

[sunvalleylaw]

Does anybody else have this problem? I'm playing along to a metronome, backing track, whatever, record, play it back, then notice I'm just a little off the beat. It's really irritating, like being just a little out of tune. Is it just paranoia? Being too self-critical? Does it really matter, if I'm having a good time, regardless of being a little out of time? Should I wait to post a clip of my playing until I can figure it out? Nah...
Jump in there, brother Fretters...
If you wait until everything is just perfect, you'll never get anything done.
Practice to the best of your ability, learn to record the best you can, and get in there and get involved!!!
This place is about learning and jamming and having FUN!!!
Don't sit back and wait. Go for it! If you need some tips, go to Robert's Dolphinstreet and get some lessons.
But don't sit around waiting...time will pass you by.
Best wishes,
Glenn

PS

I know my part is out of time a little here, but listen to how much fun we all had doing this. Jump on in here, the water's fine.

http://www.box.net/public/5d832e488t

Cue the Floyd alarm clocks, and my favorite Floyd tune. Playing as much as I can in this busy time of year. Hope to post more soon, but maybe after the first. None of that English hanging on in quiet desperation thing. Would like to master that tone though. Guess I better go buy a guitar like yours or Spuds.

[jpfeifer]

Playing in time is one of the hardest things to master on the guitar in my opinion. A lot of times you don't even realize that you're not playing in time unless you record yourself and listen to the playback.

Playing with a metronome really helps. The biggest thing that has helped me is trying to think like a drummer. Practice your picking so that you can pick very evenly with 8th notes, 16 notes, etc. off of the beat marked off with your metronome. If you work on making your picking more even it seems to help you play in time better.

But playing with good time is also one of those weird things that seems to get better if you relax more. If you concentrate too hard on it then it tends to work against you.

-- Jim

[Lev]

I agree, didn't hear any glaring timing problems on this track - just good playing! A little off-beat timing can give a nice live vibe to a recording (within reason).

Good job on tone, timing and playing!

[jpfeifer]

Oldguy,

I just listened to your track. Hey, the timing sounds fine to me, great job on the track. Maybe you're hearing things in your own playing that other people don't notice as much. Recordings can be like that sometimes. I am definitely my own worst critic when it comes to hearing myself on a recording. Sometimes that's a good thing, and other times it a real pain because I never feel like my stuff is as good as it should be.

Your solo sounds great. Nice build up on the solo. Keep jamming!

-- Jim

[oldguy]

Thanks, Jim
I'd say by your rock a billy tune last summer if anybody knows timing, you do.
I'll quit dwelling on it, and shut up and play my guitar!
Glenn

[aeolian]

But playing with good time is also one of those weird things that seems to get better if you relax more. If you concentrate too hard on it then it tends to work against you.

-- Jim

I absolutely agree with Jim.

And that is why recording is a tough go because as soon as I push the record button I tend to tense up. It is frustrating when I'm running something through and I play perfectly, but when I start to record I get general paralysis. I'm getting better though just from having done more recording.

Most of the time I can get to 90% within a few takes, but I know to get to 99% may well take me a week. Since I'm writing and recording just for my enjoyment I tend to leave it at 90% and move on. But to be honest, when I listen back sometimes I wish I had taken the effort to get something right, specially if some time in the future I decide to let other people hear it. When I do that I just feel that everyone will hear every little flub in the recording that I hear.

Still, I would not give up playing or recording cause it does my soul good.

aeolian

[aeolian]

Forgot to mention that there is some awesome playing going on here.

aeolian

[Robert****]

Sounded good, Glenn, timing was not bad at all. Keep rockin.