The ACTUAL Way to Improve Time with a Metronome
If you’ve ever taken drum lessons before, chances are, your instructor has had you practice along with a metronome. Whether it’s drilling rudiments or developing pocket, having a tool to hold you accountable for your time is crucial to developing a solid internal clock. But practicing with a click on the beats will only take you so far. To really get the most out of a metronome, you need to practice with the click landing on beat partials other than the downbeats.
Playing with a click on the 16th off beats is a technique used by some of the greatest drummers to improve timekeeping abilities. But if you ever attempted to place the click on either the “e” or “a” of a beat, you probably found it extremely challenging. That’s because most drummers get used to having the click keep time for them without even realizing it, but they should strive to play along with the click as if it were another musician. Thankfully, the following steps will reveal how to train yourself to feel and hear the click on the 16th offbeats.
Placing the Click on the “a” of Each Beat
First, we’ll work to get the click on the “a” of each beat. Using steady 16ths on the hihats and a basic groove (kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4), start by playing with the click right on the beats - just like usual. When that’s locked in, nudge the kick and snare behind by a 16th, so they land on the “e” of each beat.
Now, here comes the hard part. You need to trick yourself into feeling the “e” of each beat as the downbeat, which will make the click sound like it’s on the “a” of each beat. You might want to start by accenting the click on the hihats to get into it, then switch the accents on the hihats to match the kick and snare again. It might take a while before your ear switches to hearing the “new beat,” so be patient, go slowly, and grind it out.
Once you feel comfortable holding the click on the ‘a’ of the beats, switch to playing a 3-16th pattern on the hihats (like ‘1e&, 2e&, 3e&, 4e&’). So now the click will land in the space left open by the hihat pattern.
After you’re comfortable holding the click in that single 16th space, switch to playing just 8th notes on the hihats. The click might try to pull you back to lining it up on the beats, but do your best to resist! With enough practice, you’ll be able to better “feel” the downbeats even though you won’t hear a click where you’d usually expect it. You’ll gradually gain the ability to anchor your ear to the “a” of the beats.
Placing the Click on the “e” of Each Beat
Next, we’ll work to place the click on the ‘e’ of the beats. Just like before, start by playing steady 16ths on the hihats with the click on the beats, but now displace the kick and snare the other direction. They’ll get nudged ahead by a 16th so they land on the ‘a’ of each beat.
And you have to trick yourself again, but now into feeling the ‘a’ of beat 4 as the “new beat 1,” which puts the click on the ‘e’ of each beat. Following the same process as before, just hold the groove down until your ear begrudgingly accepts the “new downbeat.”
When you have the click locked onto the ‘e’ of each beat, switch to playing an 8th and 2-16ths on the hihats (like “1-&a, 2-&a, 3-&a, 4-&a”). Just like before, the click will land in the space left open by the hihat pattern.
When you feel good keeping the click in that 16th space, switch to playing just 8th notes on the hihats. Again, that click will try to muscle you into lining it up on the beats. But hold steady until you really “feel” the downbeats.
From there, start filling out the grooves more and try playing fills without letting that click budge out of place. If you really put in work with these exercises, your time is guaranteed to improve. Just be patient and persistent!
There are many other ways to use a metronome to further improve your internal time. Sign up for a trial lesson with one of our incredible instructors to learn how to get the most out of this valuable tool! One of the expert drum instructors at our music school near Watertown will show you strategies to develop your sense of rhythm and improve your drumming.