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Question: Whats a way I can practice keeping time without a metronome!?
Im trying out for drum major and i can keep tempo pretty well, but sometimes i slow down a couple beats per minute!. Whats a good way i can practice, other than using the metronome as a crutch!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
The best and surest way is to put on any music and play over it!. That is how you get your timing corrected!. No other way!. Now, if you can;t differentiate or you can't feel it when you anticipate, then you have an issue!.
DRummers always tend to go ahead of their timing because they get carried away a little :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

Unfortunatley that is the best way!. If the metronome is boring you you could pick a few hard songs that you like and just play along by ear!. also you can use a click track!. Feed the music to your ear through headphones!.!.just the parts that you want to hear!. Bass and vocals!.!.whatever you cue from but add the metronome to the recording!. You might consider this cheating but I am a professional audio engineer and specialized in monitor mixing on a pro level for 25 years!. A lot of drummers use click tracks added to there monitor mix while performing live!. As long as it works and gives you a better clock do what works for you!. Good luck!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

"Tapping your feet" is a good answer!. Both feet, to be totally clear!. Since you're talking about marching band anyway, this should be very natural to do!.

Another way is to tap just the left foot!. That helps to unleash the right brain/left brain activity!. The tapping the left foot will tend to affect the right brain/creative hemisphere of our brain, because it is controlled by the right side of the brain for balance!. If you've ever noticed people who tap their right foot, they tend to slow down or speed up as they "process" the music!.

Here's a detailed explanation:

"The left brain processes in a linear, sequential, logical manner!. When you process on the left side, you use information piece by piece to solve a math problem or work out a science experiment!. When you read and listen, you look for the pieces so that you can draw logical conclusions!. If you process primarily on the right side of the brain, you use intuition!. You may know the right answer to a math problem but not be sure how you got it!. You may have to start with the answer and work backwards!. On a quiz, you have a gut feeling as to which answers are correct, and you are usually right!. In writing, it is the left brain that pays attention to mechanics such as spelling, agreement, and punctuation!. But the right side pays attention to coherence and meaning; that is, your right brain tells you it "feels" right!."

So, tap the left foot!.!.!. or, tap them both!. I hope that this helps!Www@QuestionHome@Com

count the beats in your head!. Start counting and get a good, steady rythym going before you actually start playng!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Tapping your feet!. (I'm serious)

-MisaleiaWww@QuestionHome@Com

Use your feet! Tap your foot on the ground and keep a sturdy beat!Www@QuestionHome@Com

subdivide!.
count every quater note as two eigth notes so the way u count stays consistentWww@QuestionHome@Com