Advice needed from guitarists. Need to to improve my timing for guitar, help?

Question:I have a really hard time trying to play along with a backing track with a metronome. I can't count 4 beats with my foot and in my head and play with syncopation (like notes off the beat for effect). I can play along fine if I do a simple down down down down strumming pattern or down up down up, but when I try to play it they way the song actually sounds my timing goes off.

Seems to be whats happening is that when I play a note off the beat, my foot taps on the off-beat as well and so I end up skipping a half beat and I can't seem to stop it from happening. I guess its a problem with my rhythm. Any exercises I can do to get it better?

When I first started playing I didn't try to learn any strumming patterns, I just made them up myself so they sounded good and tried my best to keep in time. Now I'm finding this isn't working if I'm trying to play precisely along with a backing track.

Need help.. thanks

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have a really hard time trying to play along with a backing track with a metronome. I can't count 4 beats with my foot and in my head and play with syncopation (like notes off the beat for effect). I can play along fine if I do a simple down down down down strumming pattern or down up down up, but when I try to play it they way the song actually sounds my timing goes off.

Seems to be whats happening is that when I play a note off the beat, my foot taps on the off-beat as well and so I end up skipping a half beat and I can't seem to stop it from happening. I guess its a problem with my rhythm. Any exercises I can do to get it better?

When I first started playing I didn't try to learn any strumming patterns, I just made them up myself so they sounded good and tried my best to keep in time. Now I'm finding this isn't working if I'm trying to play precisely along with a backing track.

Need help.. thanks

If you're playing with a metronome, then you're already on the right track. Don't rely on your foot-tapping to keep a steady beat. As you've already seen, foot-tapping can easily lead you astray. When I was first learning to keep rhythm with guitar, I concentrated on playing along with simple time signatures like 4/4 and 3/4 only. And I used a metronome to help me do so. The trick to learning with a metronome is to slow it way down at first, and then to slowly increase the pace of the beat over time as you become ever more proficient in your rhythmic abilities. I wish good luck on your endeavour to become a better guitarist, and don't become discouraged. Just keep applying yourself to your instrument and you will eventually succeed. Just remember this; you have chosen to learn what is widely considered to be the most difficult instrument to learn, and only by applying yourself with a passion for that instrument will you any hope of one day mastering it!

just practice tap your foot to the quarter notes and play eight notes on the guitar the move to triplets and 16th notes start slow and work your way up

I think playing with a metronome is a separate skill all by itself.

The only advice I can give you is to slow the metronome WAY down. Start by playing quarter notes on the beat, one metronome click to each beat (1...2...3....4...) until you can do that in time to the metronome, then add notes on the offbeats so that you're playing 8 eighth notes per measure with metronome clicks on the downbeats only (1..and..2..and..3..and..4..and...)

Then when you can do that consistently in time to the metronome click on the downbeats, mix up your quarter notes and eighth notes in various combinations (1..and..2....3....4..and) or (1....2..and..3.....4..and) or (1..and..2..and..3.....4..and) etc. Make up your own. Then when you can play those rock-solid with the metronome -- speed the metronome up a bit and try all 3 exercises again at a slightly faster speed. Get your timing perfect at that speed, then speed up the 'nome again a little bit, etc.

Slow careful practice is the key.

Buy a little $20 Metronome by QUIKTIME.
That's what a metronome does. To help you stay in time.
Get the red one, because it has a louder speaker on it so you can hear it as you play along. Good luck

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I have two young students going through this dilemma.

You have to slow down to a pace which will allow you to play the correct rhythm.

As you repeat this over and over, gradually speed up. Whilst doing so try to get a feel for the rhythm as this is what you'll be relying upon ultimately - not counting.

Your strumming arm should behave like the arm of a metronome keeping time for you. Bear this in mind as you practise.

Good luck.