Developing good timing is one of those sneaky skills you might not notice until you try to play guitar with other people. However, as a beginner, you actually have an advantage.
One of the biggest hurdles that intermediate guitar players face is staying in time while playing with other musicians. After years of relying on their own internal sense of rhythm, they often have to backtrack and unlearn ingrained timing habits.
The good news for you? Hitting the timing wall is completely avoidable.
🔑 KEY IDEA
Make playing in time "Just what I do"
The science behind it is simple: As a beginner, your sense of timing is still developing. Therefore, you can teach your brain from day one, "I play to the beat of the music, not to the count in my head".
One and two and three and four and:
- 1Set the metronome to 72 BPM and tap your foot to the beat.
- 2Say it out loud: "One and two and three and four and-"
- 3Pick a chord you love and strum a downstroke on each tick.
- 4Try mixing up your strumming pattern, adding upstrokes to the mix.
If you fall out of sync, take a moment to pause and reset. Resist the urge to speed up to catch the beat. This is a common bad habit that a guitar teacher would usually catch early, but if you're self-taught, you'll need to be mindful of it yourself.
🔥 PRO TIP
Always have a beat running in the background
Good timing doesn't happen overnight. It's one of those skills that you incorporate into your entire practice routine and it takes care of itself as you progress in your journey.
Your turn ⭐
Click check
Question 1 of 3
What tool will help a beginning guitarist learn to play in time?
The cheat sheet
- Beginners have an opportunity to form good timing habits early on.
- Always practice with a beat in the background.
- Take a moment to reset if you get out of sync with the beat.
- Start with a slow BPM and step it up a notch only when you feel comfortable.
Common questions
I've already spent years playing without a metronome. How can I fix my timing?
Before you begin your usual practice routine, make a small commitment: “Today, I’m going to try this exercise with a beat playing in the background.” It may feel awkward at first because it’s unfamiliar, but stick with it. Over time, practicing with a beat will become your new normal and your timing will steadily improve.
Metronomes are so boring, they drive me crazy.
Instead of a metronome, practice while your favorite songs are playing in the background. It's the same concept as using a metronome. The goal is to listen to the beat of the music instead of the count in your head. Mixing it up keeps practice fun and interesting.
What do I set the BPM to on the metronome?
You can't go wrong starting off at 60 BPM. Once you feel comfortable, bump it up to 65 and see how you feel. Speed is cool, but clear chords delivered in time with the music are * chefs kiss *.