TOPIC: Timing is everything

For some of you gear heads out there, ever notice how crappy an engine runs if the timing isn't correct? If it's off a few degrees, it will either belch a fireball out of the carb, or will simply crank and do nothing.
In an effort to make my guitar playing better, i decided to dust off the met when i play scales. I start with a pathetically slow 1/4 note beat @ 40 BPM, play the scale 5 times thru, and increase the BPM by 10, and play it again 5 times thru and so forth. If i stumble on a note, (this counts note clarity and timing) i start the process over until i get it correct. I had better be playing the note on the click of the met. All this repitition has trained my brain for proper timing perception, and i'm committing the scale to memory. I like to play box scales string to string versus the single string scales, although single string scales are a good finger stretch excercise. Also, i try to either look at the met or the scale tab while playing, in an effort to get used to looking around while i play, so i'm not isolating myself in a bubble. The more i repeat it, i'm finding it easier to not be staring at my fretting hand so much when i play. At one point, at 70 BPM, i was able to look up, and watch something on the Military Channel while i was playing (hey, they were talking about one of my favorite WW2 fighters, the P-38 Lightning)
While not as glamorous as learning an Eagles tune, it does help with the fundamentals of guitar playing, timing and scales.

My daughter just told me she has started taking guitar lessons! She lives in CT....wish I could suggest our class to her.. I will pass along your practice strategy...It sounds good!

Mom, no fiddle blood in her? If our class is an indicator of fretted to non-fretted instruments, we need more fiddles.

That's a good idea Dave. In my private lesson, I told Dave that I had been playing scales to the metronome...he thought it a good idea, and suggested I do that a little everytime I practice.