{"id":34660,"date":"2018-08-24T08:00:14","date_gmt":"2018-08-24T15:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/classicalguitarshed.foureyes.com\/?p=34660"},"modified":"2025-08-06T04:18:41","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T11:18:41","slug":"develop-rhythm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/develop-rhythm\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Develop Internal Rhythm"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>To play classical guitar beautifully, we need good timing. We need to be able to keep a steady beat going, even when the notes become difficult (like switching between Eighth Notes and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/triplets\/\">Triplets<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>But few of us are born with such solid internal rhythm. So how can we develop great timing?<\/p>\n<p class=\"centerc\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2cJD-t6_ags\" width=\"700\" height=\"393\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Use the Right Tool: Turn on the Metronome<\/h2>\n<p>While metronomes may be scary at first, they offer a valuable form of feedback.<\/p>\n<p>The popular foot-tap slows down and speeds up without our notice. We cannot trust it. Unlike a foot-tap, a metronome stays rock-solid. And it does this even if we become confused or distracted. No matter what, it does its one job &#8211; the steady click.<\/p>\n<p>This means a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/metronome\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">metronome<\/a> is like a mirror. We can use it to compare what we \u201cfeel\u201d with the stark reality of time. As we do, we adjust our notion of what feels \u201cright\u201d to more closely match reality.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">How to Use a Metronome to Develop Your Rhythm<\/h2>\n<p>We can use a metronome for almost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/classical-guitar-for-guitarists\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">all our classical guitar technique practice<\/a>. And indeed, technique practice will be more effective when we <a href=\"http:\/\/www.natesviolin.com\/roberts-rules-metronome\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">use the metronome<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But we can also use the metronome in a <a href=\"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/3-minute-rhythm-exercise\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">special way to train our internal rhythm<\/a>. Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n<h3>Step One: One Note Per Click<\/h3>\n<p>To begin, we set the metronome at a comfortable pace and play one note per click. This is the most common way to use the metronome. For example, we can set the metronome to 120 beats per minute (bpm), and play one note with each click.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34720 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-1.jpg\" alt=\"rhythm quarter notes\" width=\"700\" height=\"124\" srcset=\"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-1.jpg 700w, https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-1-300x53.jpg 300w, https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-1-100x18.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><br \/>\nWe can do this with open strings, a scale pattern, or anything else. The notes matter less than the rhythm.<\/p>\n<h3>Step Two: Two Notes Per Click<\/h3>\n<p>Next we can set the metronome to click once for every two notes we play. For example, if we set the metronome to 60 bpm, we can play at the same speed as before and have two notes per click.<\/p>\n<p>The trick here is to count the subdivision. This means if the click is \u201cOne, two, three, four\u201d, we count \u201cOne and Two and Three and Four and One\u201d.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34721 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-2.jpg\" alt=\"metronome two beats\" width=\"700\" height=\"125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-2.jpg 700w, https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-2-300x54.jpg 300w, https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-2-100x18.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><br \/>\nThe goal is to play a steady rhythm with the metronome click lining up with every other note.<\/p>\n<h3>Step Three: Four Notes Per Click<\/h3>\n<p>Once we have the previous step mastered, we can reduce the number of clicks still more. Now we have four notes per click.<\/p>\n<p>If the metronome can go as low as 30 bpm, great. If not, we can set the metronome to 120 bpm with an accent on every four beats. Then, we can turn off the quarter note and leave only the accent audible.<\/p>\n<p>(note: You may need to consult your metronome\u2019s manual to discover how to do this.)<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34722 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-3.jpg\" alt=\"rhythm whole notes\" width=\"700\" height=\"125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-3.jpg 700w, https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-3-300x54.jpg 300w, https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-3-100x18.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><br \/>\nAs in the other steps, the goal is to play with absolute rhythmic integrity. We play with military precision as the metronome clicks to every fourth note we play.<\/p>\n<h3>Step Four: Eight Notes Per Click<\/h3>\n<p>Finally, we come to eight notes per click. This means that the metronome clicks on the first note, then the ninth, etc.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve succeeded in setting your metronome to sound only the accent, as described above, you can now set the metronome to half the previous speed. For instance, we can set the metronome to 60 bpm and have the accent every 4 clicks. Then we turn the non-accented notes off.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-34723 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-4.jpg\" alt=\"rhythm metronome counting\" width=\"700\" height=\"125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-4.jpg 700w, https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-4-300x54.jpg 300w, https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/develop-rhythm-4-100x18.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><br \/>\nNote: For all the exercises above, we play the exact same speed. One is not faster or slower than the others. The only difference is how often the metronome clicks.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">All Variations are Legal<\/h2>\n<p>In these examples, we doubled the notes per click with each step.<\/p>\n<p>We can also use subdivisions of <a href=\"http:\/\/classicalguitarshed.foureyes.com\/\/triplets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">three<\/a>, five, seven, or anything else. However, most of the music we\u2019ll encounter will use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/8-common-rhythms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">4\/4 or 2\/4 time signatures<\/a>. So the exercises above will offer the most benefit to start with.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Use This Exercise as a Stepping Stone to More Expressive Playing<\/h2>\n<p>With practice, we\u2019ll be able to maintain a steady rhythm over longer periods of time. Once we do, we can play with stretching and <a href=\"http:\/\/classicalguitarshed.foureyes.com\/\/rubato-video\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">compressing<\/a> time.<\/p>\n<p>To play <a href=\"http:\/\/classicalguitarshed.foureyes.com\/\/musical-expression-guitar-phrasing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">expressively<\/a>, we often slow down or speed up in our music. But without a firm foundation of steady rhythm to begin with, <a href=\"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/fix-rhythm-problems-in-classical-guitar-pieces\/\">these variations in speed often come across \u201coff\u201d in some way<\/a>. Instead of expressive playing, we have a parody of expressive playing (which is valid, if that\u2019s what we\u2019re going for). We can think of it as the musical equivalent of over-acting, or bad acting.<\/p>\n<p>So the surest path to play beautifully with time is to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classicalguitarshed.com\/clap-count-rhythm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">develop a strong internal sense of rhythm<\/a>. And the exercise above will help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To play classical guitar beautifully, we need good timing. We need to be able to keep a steady beat going, even when the notes become difficult (like switching between Eighth Notes and Triplets). But few of us are born with such solid internal rhythm. So how can we develop great timing? Use the Right Tool: Turn on the Metronome While &#8230; <\/p>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/develop-rhythm\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2973,"featured_media":34661,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[61,434,20],"tags":[394,351],"class_list":["post-34660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-main-content-parent","category-practicing","tag-metronome","tag-rhythm"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.8 (Yoast SEO v25.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Get Better Rhythm: Simple Steps to Musical Timing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"These fun games will help you train your inner musical timing so you play with more rhythm and power. 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