Mike Cramer's Blog

Playing in time, with a good time feel, is a must for every musician regardless of the style you choose to play. If your time feel is solid, then people with want to play with you and you will be an asset to any group. The Metronome The tool that helps us develop a solid time feel is a metronome, so let's add it to our toolbox! A metronome is a device that generates a short sound at a specified tempo or speed. Many have a dial you turn to adjust the tempo, others have buttons that increase or decrease the tempo. Choosing a Metronome Metronomes all work pretty much the same way. Some have a needle that moves back and forth, others a digital needle on a display, and a few simply have a light that blinks with every click. They vary in price and size. One thing to check out before buying, is the sound. Some metronomes generate a beep and others have a wood block sound. I've had students comment that the beep becomes annoying after a while and that the wood block is less gr...

Welcome to the start of a new series entitled the "Practice Toolbox." Every great carpenter has a toolbox stocked with tools that are necessary to get the job done. We as musicians need to have a toolbox filled with the necessary items to practice effectively and efficiently. In the posts to follow I will suggest some of the tools I use and how to effectively use them in a practice session. To start, we need a place to put all of our tools. If you haven't already done so, pick a place that will become your practice space. This is where you'll keep all of your tools. Having a centralized practice space will help to minimize excuses and maximize productivity. The space doesn't have to be large or fancy; it could simply be a corner in your bedroom. Try to pick a space that will have few distractions. When you step into your space you want to get into practice mode and the more distractions the harder it is to get into that practice mode. Here are a few pract...