Subdivision Metronome Drills

Keeping time is essential, for ANY musician. Then why is it that guitarists have such an aversion to the metronome? Well, it's actually cause we're a bit lazy, and a little bit fraidy cats too.

This simple tool helps us to build core strength in recognizing and internalizing meter and subdivision. Here are a few metronome drills, some easy, some hard that will help you fix your relationship with the metronome today.

00:00 Thesis and Introduction
02:57 Lesson
11:02 Wrap Up

🎸 Study with me in The Studio—my online guitar academy!
▶️ Explore Free Courses
▶️ Access Exclusive Lessons
▶️ Register for Live Workshops
▶️ Join a Supportive Community

📚 Want TABs & More?
Support the channel and get access to TABs for all videos, plus an exclusive monthly video on my Patreon page.

🎹 Struggling with Music Theory?
Grab my free “Fretboard Harmony Primer” to get music theory directly on the fretboard.

🙏 Show Your Support
If you enjoy the content and want to support the channel, here’s the best way to do that:

📱 Let’s Connect!
Follow me on social media:

Thanks for watching!
Chris

[ktkman]

I just did this excercise yesterday for the first time in months and i thought to myself "why don't i do that like every day?!" Great stuff and good timing

[chrischildbloom]

Great explanation! There is a sign in my office that says, Counting is to music as breathing is to life! That makes the metronome water.

[guitarlamar]

Thanks again Chris! Putting these awesome lessons on the fretboard where they belong!

[sanchezz]

@curiousguitarist ive been playing now for nearly 2 years, you have been absolutely monumental in my learning chris, i cant even articulate how much of my learning has come from your teachings. Your a master of your craft were so lucky to have you

[joycegrove]

Great exercise Chris, I love me a bit of rhythm! 😆

[taggart]

Chris, my guitar teacher drills into me the metronome exercises at various speeds and importance of accurate counting on sub division.Your video here has given great insight into the issues of timing.

[joshnorko]

Fantastic lesson man and your video with Marty today was great!

[dannyhancock]

Kudos Sir! You've just hit the nail on the head for me with this video. It will be my new jam for as long as it takes. Thank you.

[billandmyraclarke]

Thank you for presenting an accessible tutorial on this timing thing. I always seem to rush, and triplets feel so good - when they're IN TIME! So as you recommend, I'll use a metronome and push the envelope as my accuracy improves. Also kudos for making all these drills musically interesting. I'll be humming them all day.

[mukmuk]

i just took up drum lessons after decades of playing guitar. the drum practice of going through different subdivisions during one session was new to me. i have started practicing similarly with guitar. part of me is now critical of the conventional guitar teaching approach that emphasizes real scales and a static rhythm. maybe we would have been better off as guitar players by using symmetrical fretboard patterns and instead focusing on rhythm patterns just as you demonstrated here. the complexity of the scales can come after, just as in drums the complexity of moving around the kit can come after.

[dondonny]

What a great exercise Chris, I worked my way through it just fine which leaves me thinking I must be doing something right 😀

[mrWorldwideJuan]

need to get on this as soon as possible

[garryhaynes]

Probably the best and most effective lesson yet, but, I expect most will try to do it way too fast instead of accurate and clean. Thanks Chris 👍

[trontosaurusrex]

Thanks for the lesson! I recently got a metronome to help keep rhythm. This is grand.

[abennett]

These lessons are great really helpful thanks for putting them up 👍

[maryk]

Always interesting and helpful lessons. Thank you!

[dan_kay]

Delivered as advertised. It doesn't get any better.

[mattprince]

Heya Chris! Wanted to share an exercise I’ve been working on. Setting the metronome to like 50, then counting those as the 2nd and 4th beats. Then using that to improvise blues so you accent more around those beats. I can’t remember what channel I got it from but it’s really helping my blues phrasing. It’s groovy

[galacticfreds]

Do you have anymore rhythm exercises on your site like with dotted notes etc?

[ChadHarland-og]

Chris zip received pay award from the courts yesterday an I would really like to sign up for a whole year in advance when the hits my bank. Where do I look for payment plans you offer? I am really excited to do this an have looked forward to my court date. Now that I am going to receive it, would like to prepare in advance. It could take up to 2 months before I get it, we shall see I just no for sure it's coming. Thanks, my friend I have been following tour lessons for a 3 yrs now, and it's time to dive real deep to get to my personal goals.