When Tom Bukovac Tells You You're Playing Out of Time, You Listen

[@nedludd3641]

Has John's missus booted him out the house? Is he now vlogging from a tent? This is like a Monty Python sketch. ⛺

[@JarickL]

True Python would be if he was standing on the hill in the background 😁

[@nedludd3641]

@@JarickL ...he needs a dinner jacket and a huge 1930s BBC mic, "...and now for something completely different."

[@johnnathancordy]

She found my jazz mags

[@nedludd3641]

@@johnnathancordy 🤣

[@DavidBeebee]

@@johnnathancordy DownBeating

[@jimamsden]

I think rushing is caused by not quite knowing what you're going to do next, and trying to get ahead of it through trial and error. I know this because I feel like I live it every time I play.

[@Smak97LP]

Oz Noy had a great tip for this as well: to get really comfortable with time, set a metronome to whole notes, like 100 bpm for example, pick a scale and play it up and down the neck. First, play whole notes, then half notes, then triplets, quarters, quintuplets and so on and switch between those while you‘re going. A bar of quarters, triplets, quintuplets mixed through. Eventually you‘ll internalize how these quantizations fit and sound in the grid.

[@robertstan2349]

don't do that. you'll kill your phrasing if you're not careful and sound like a machine. screw the grid

[@TomPapasBread]

@@robertstan2349 Great for drummers though for their rudiments, beat displacement exercises and whatnot

[@NickGranville]

Nice to see a new setting. I think that other thing Tom Bukovac mentioned was vibrato, and being intentional with it. Not just nervous sounding vibrato

[@johnnathancordy]

YES - intentional vibrato - that was it!

[@tonepoet]

This and bending a note too far or not far enough. That only works for Jeff Beck, no one else.

[@raymondjamesrivera]

I feel nothing sounds more amateurish than fast nervous vibrato, takes me right out of listening to someone if they do that.

[@markmorton5280]

Carol Kaye has a KZbin video where she recounts a colleague in a recording studio pointing out her tendency to rush. Made her mad, but she went home, used a metronome…and got a lot better.

[@tomquayleguitar]

Is this a lesson on playing in time or outside?

[@johnnathancordy]

WAHEY - here he is

[@SSVplus]

Floating musically without sounding lost and then there's actually playing in time compared to struggling to keep in time.

[@matt-fn9gr]

I always wondered what people meant by playing outside

[@ralphmuller6040]

Excellent lesson. What you said is true regarding not hearing timing errors quite as easily WHILE you are playing. They seem, to me, more apparent upon playback.

[@admbrnk3665]

This is so true. I’m a hobbyist guitar player, and I mostly write my own stuff rather than playing a lot of existing songs. Sometimes I’ll be playing something and it sounds great to me in the moment, so I’ll start recording so I can remember it for later. Then I’ll go back and listen to the recording and it sounds HORRIBLE, I can’t even figure out what I was going for sometimes 😂

[@jfo3000]

​@admbrnk3665 I used to play something new with a click for a few days before attempting to record it. But after doing that in succession for weeks of recording a bunch of parts I had backlogged in my mind, my timing became much better. Now I can pretty much run through something for a couple minutes with a click, then record...but it took a lot of painful come to Jesus moments in daily succession for weeks before the gift was bestowed.

[@johnplaystheguitar123]

The dropout thing is a good idea. Can set a metronome for an 8 bar loop and make it drop out for the last two bars. Tommy Emmanuel and his brother used to play guitar outside and start in time then each walk around seperate side of the house to see if they were still in time when they met up again

[@timkoelln3826]

Like the different location and guitar! Nature and humbuckers for the win 😉

[@pickinstone]

Time feel and spatial awareness are essential in all genres of music, from blues to jazz to classical and EVERYTHING in between. For those of us studying jazz, the inclination towards advanced harmony makes many of us VERY sloppy with rhythm. Jazz without rhythm is... It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing--as the Duke used to warn. Too many people oversimplify and misconstrue the study of rhythm. Think of it this way, rhythm is the oldest element of music. You'd think that an element of music that goes back to the dawn of humanity would deserve priority in musical study? Without rhythm, your harmony and melodic concepts all fall through the cracks. Rhythm is DEMANDING. Every strum, every note, every sound on your instrument has a rhythmic consequence. For guitar, the notes that you articulate are just as important as how they are released on the fretboard. The silence between the notes is also rhythmically dependent. Accents, groupings, slow, fast--all rhythm. Thus, we work on our technique to be more rhythmically competent. Rhythm is the glue to all musical statements. Rhythm is a concept we should revisit and hone for the rest of our musical lives. Once you get into West African drumming, you learn that time is not reserved for the page--you can't really notate time. Time is three dimensional--and the dance comes from the interplay of poly rhythms and poly meter stacked on top of each other. We've ignored rhythm for too long. Look at university music programs across the world. Most of them require rudimentary piano courses, whether you are playing jazz or rock or classical (even producing hip hop). There are very few programs that also require rudimentary drum or hand percussion. Get to know the language of the drum and you will set yourself right on your musical journey.

[@seanbrittmusic]

Man, I love your touch on the instrument. Lots of natural dynamics. Bravo

[@ksharpe10]

Beautiful country JOHN.

[@evilgiraffe]

Love the setting. Love the content. Great insight and beautiful playing.

[@alguitarchristie]

I think people who rely on legato tend to go out of time more often. I play drums too, so I am always thinking about timing. I don't think you should deliberately rush or lag, just try to be on the time, listen to the Hats the kick and the snare of the drummer you are playing with!

[@jimamsden]

Excellent John!

[@Chiller11]

The 335 is sounding lovely. I’m a big fan of hollow bodies and semi hollow bodies. I recently started taking lessons again and had to concentrate on my timing. Went back to the metronome and tried to be really deliberate about timing. I use an old shooter’s maxim, “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” Now that my timing is coming around I’ve got to try to swing the notes a bit. I’ve got to try to be deliberately slightly out of time on selected notes and as you said emphasize the 2 and 4. Hilarious

[@AlecBridges]

Treating the &s of 8th notes as 1, 2, 3, 4 is also really good for getting timing more solid

[@johnnathancordy]

ABSOLUTELY! Also then trying to put them on 16th note subdivisions is a fun one to try in the car...

[@AlecBridges]

@@johnnathancordyYa, I need to work on the 16th note version of that. The ee or ah as 1 is really tricky

[@acousticarchivefortwayne930]

Now I like using a metronome to practice. I view it as a simple and very accurate rhythm section. At first it was a bit intimidating because it challenged me to stay in time. But over the long run, and with more practice, it's really become more of a partner. It makes me listen better and simulates playing along with someone. Metronomes = A great tool.

[@christopherkuefler9839]

Nice grove/playing! Mate!

[@safaronf]

Good points your bringing up in this video! also, love the garden background!

[@tanukibrahma]

Maybe it’s obvious, but I’ve found just staying relaxed, with as little tension in the hands as possible, has helped with rushing, now playing more behind the beat than before.

[@TLMuse]

Loved the intro jam! -Tom

[@tomusic8887]

I always rush i am very tense person....yes its a struggle....hard to get better at it...great playing ❤

[@stevenrutherford3649]

Looks like the beautiful hills and dales of Devon.

[@LenaPieculewicz]

It's easy and pleasant if You move/dance like a dancer, or/and drummer during You're playing a guitar, or other instrument . This way of moving works like a pendulum and causes some kind of trance ( Your theta waves are synchronized with rhythm of music within this state of mind). It's easier to get into this state by... standing and dancing with Your instrument instead of sitting like an office worker - and it is pleasant and much healthier for Your spine and generally for Your health. Probably it's easy way to stay in time, feel relaxed (or some kind of euphoria even like during african Gnava ritual...) when You're playing rhythmic music. Limitation of some guitar "non altered picking" techniques like sweeping techniques helps to get guitarist's right hand in some kind of pendulum movement what helps to get that trance state of mind (Cory Wong's right hand technique is a good example...). Question: Should we play with time, trance and pleasure, or should we use more complicated and breakneck techniques but with less, or without feel, trance, pleasure...?

[@metart93]

Can someone link the Bukovac video hes talking about?

[@tonystartup3817]

Lawn's looking good John!

[@johnnathancordy]

Not my lawn - no idea who owns it but I got out of there quick before they realised I was filming

[@tonystartup3817]

@@johnnathancordy you don't see Pete thorn going to such lengths in his videos! Truly going above and beyond the competition

[@guitarguytristan]

Nice background :) great setting for a jam!

[@NedJeffery]

Ironically the production values in the back yard are better than in the office.

[@chrismillett]

Super solid lesson

[@jakeah1175]

Quite zen to just be playing chords on the 1 and 3 in a lovely English garden

[@sTVG2]

I agree that we ideally should have complete control of our timing…🍑but… we all have heard some extremely emotive moments cultivated through rushing a beat or laggin behind. I repeat its all about control and emotive intent.

[@AlecBourneMidiMadScientist]

Love this whole outside in the garden thing. Can you do a behind the scenes video on how you are connected wirelessly and how you are doing the looping here to stitch into the video? I know you tend to use a DAW for all this in studio but have you changed up outside with an actual looper and backing tracks ?

[@jamesemerson4102]

Playing with too much tension is something I continue to struggle with regularly and am working on this a lot right now... always telling myself to relax. Playing too many notes - we all do it, but it's fun 🤣 it can be very difficult sometimes to find the balance between loving and enjoying playing Guitar, and restraining oneself to play only what sounds good to the listener. Leaving space is sometimes painful when you just love to play the instrument so much. 😂

[@jaredbader1415]

Practicing to a metronome is great but it won't help if you don't address what I believe is the real source of the problem of rushing for most people. Most musicians have performance anxiety whether they admit it or not. This anxiety left unchecked will absolutely cause you to rush out of fear of making a mistake etc.. it seems that people don't want to talk about anxiety but we all need to realize that we are not a lesser person or a poor musician because of anxiety. There are many strategies to help you deal with it and once you get comfortable on stage, I really believe that will fix timing issues better than anything for most people. I'm of course talking about people who have already spent time with a metronome and worked on it at home before performing.

[@tommywallberg]

Great video!

[@Andrew-wb2zq]

my guitar hot take is that playing in time is more important than playing the "right notes".

[@christophercartledge5464]

Welcome to jazz. Much truth in your comment about the ‘right’ note… there is only bad timing.

[@matthewcollis-long5233]

Lovely lesson & playing. Where in the UK are you? Looks oddly familiar. Not stalking….

[@CharLessMajor7Music]

I have okay bends and vibratos i guess timing is the hardest part for me. So this is very helpful

[@icarusi]

I made a drum track with a varied tempo map over it, to emulate a slightly varying time of live players. I'd had a problem with some timing aspects, and was able to isolate it to my quad speed playing. By that I mean my fastest comfortable speed. My speeds 1/2 and 1/4 of that were ok, but I was emerging early from the quad speed playing, when mixed with 1/2 and 1/4 speed. Some of it was the transitioning between the speeds, and some was the extra effort at the highest speed. Knowing the 1/2 and 1/4 was ok allowed me to concentrate on fixing the quad speed, and the mixes with 1/2 and 1/4. Some players have rushed parts, as part of their sound. Most don't.

[@LaneyGriffith]

I switched from Rolling Rock to Yuengling because of Tom Bukovac. Drink it everyday now from morning to night just like him, He's my hero. 🍻🍻

[@fixedgear37]

And people thought Taylor Swift fans were lame..

[@BeefNEggs057]

Congrats on the low life.

[@BeefNEggs057]

@@fixedgear37they are - sorry to my daughter you’re lame

[@MM-rr1kp]

i just the beer i like

[@melodymakermark]

Rolling Rock drinkers could save a lot of coin by switching to water. Yuengling is a step up, but I’m so spoiled on local crafts that I just can’t enjoy traditional American beers. I’m going to have to make an effort to abstain anyway, as I become one of those “if I have one, I’ll have thirteen” drinkers. It’s really starting to take away my energy at my age.

[@trentwaterman7049]

Great stuff

[@TheToneshack]

Al fresco grooves for the win.

[@johnnathancordy]

Wait YOU'RE the toneshack?!

[@sirfultonbishop]

Very useful info here and in the comments! And that guitar sounds great! What brand is it?

[@improbablehandle]

Tokai. Possibly an ES-201F.

[@danielrose3172]

Ive found that when i record a song into my rc-10, sometimes the timing being off, adds something to the music... Funny.

[@BenjaminUbayyed-po9tc]

you can find all manner of guitar info out here in the youtube-sphere but absolutely no one talks about time and timing and as someone who struggles with time it makes it a challange to get tips and tricks and tutorials on time. i find it frutrating

[@wheresallthezombies]

What kind of guitar is that?

[@chrisgmurray3622]

Yeah... lapses in timing were always something I had to focus on getting right. I think often the reason isn't actually nerves so much, as that sometimes people aren't really thinking about or concerntrated on timing, instead being more involved with other priorities in their focus, like tone texture, dynamics, melodic movements, licks in general, and harmonic devices in their improv. The emphasis in most modern pop music since the thirties has been on rhythmic applications, and many people are involved in bands out of a general musical bent, but find themselves in a rhythmic thing just because that's the only thing open to them instead of straight classical music, and may not have super tight timing as a priority in their musical vision. The earthiness of rock and pop often dispenses with harmonic complexity in favour of rhythm as a common denominator, but this is not a cultural imperative just because of fear of racial stereotyping as whitebread. The only reason I focused on improving my timing was to make it easier to play with others in musical traffic, rather than be all rubato in solo performance, not because I didn't want to be uncool! Working more conscioudly on timing has despite this helped other areas of my playing to improve as a result. For instance you can go faster if you're more balanced and even in your timing.

[@mule71]

Nice lesson, John. 👍 Sounding good. Which Tokai model is that?

[@mule71]

I found your other video. Tokai ES130! 😃

[@chrislink73]

The last thing Tom mentioned was Vibrato - not knowing when to use it and when not to use it. How to make it sound natural and not a forced thing that's just always present.

[@CRP2426]

Nice video!

[@GiacomoVaccari]

Metronome on 2 and 4 as a snare is to me the easiest way to practive groove

[@unabonger777]

damn, nice, didn't know you live in the Shire. was Tom talking to you, exactly?

[@toploadtele]

Starting out as a drummer and then moving on to guitar really helps with timing...

[@johnnathancordy]

TRUE - I think Marco Sfogli did this?

[@brendanpmaclean]

I started off playing drums before moving onto guitar. It does help a lot but when you play in a band where the drummer struggles with timing, it drives you crazy.

[@jfo3000]

​@@johnnathancordy And EVH, and Tommy Bolin I believe, TB could groove hard.

[@jimmyc5498]

It’s tricky because Jimmy Page rushes, so does Eric Johnson, but they sound great and filled with energy. So does punk stuff. Breathe, not thru your mouth, thru your nose, long inhales, hold, long exhales thru mouth. Blood circulation will calm you the fuck down. Try it. Play, hold a note, play. Sequencing, like play an idea over I chord, rest, play same over 4 chord, make a conversation. Tom is 100% right but fixable.

[@501chorusecho]

so does dickie betts...but no one cares because it's awesome

[@jwstout007]

Yo, capture that kitchen reverb my dude, that's got a vibe to it!

[@Yelbomsirhc1]

Good stuff. I like to think I have great time, but sometimes on playback I detect a bit of rushing here and there.

[@thebrokenstringspete]

As an illiterate player of almost 40 years i have only recently started delving into the mechanics of timing and realising its value. Sure, i can copy an Eric Gales solo in an ok fashion, but could i write it? No. Do i really understand it? No. When those fast runs seemingly come out of nowhere and catch you unawares in a wherethefuckdidthatcomefrom fashion, thats the genius of timing.

[@richardstones6445]

#4 was about using vibrato.

[@simaojoseph]

@ 7:04 you are not subdividing, your only listening to the metronome.

[@mitasaron2735]

Hi, may I asked the brand of your wireless system? And, are you happy with it ? =)

[@tonystartup3817]

Looks like the boss plug to me

[@plankspankersparadise3113]

new photo wallpaper Jonathan?

[@raymondjamesrivera]

I think the reason people’s time is bad is because they don’t play their material slower. If a song is 100bpm you should set the metronome at 85 and play the same song. If you play with no mistakes move it up to 87 and repeat till you get back to 100 with no mistakes. It’s all nerves and fear that makes us rush.

[@officialWWM]

Ok, I’m going to spend a couple of hours practicing this, cause I’m terrible at it! Having said that, I prefer players who are a little “loose” I like my rhythm n section to be super tight but I love guitar players and vocalists who push and pull a little.

[@jamesrobinson529]

The thing about timing/rhythm and race, is this; people who dance all the time from an early age, tend to have more rhythm. I can't count the number of times my cousins and I did The Robot while listening to music, as a child.

[@mikey-dubs]

What is a metronome ?

[@robertstan2349]

it's a feel thing. and there's nothing wrong with pushing the beat. play behind to create tension and a sexy feel; push it to give a sense of energy and urgency. and be careful w/your metronome or you'll end up being a robot.

[@timelwell7002]

I can't say I've ever noticed your timing being off John. I am well aware how crucial it is to ply 'in the groove' and on the beat.

[@alchemysticgoldmind4164]

I think dancing.helps with time All the Good musicians I know that can Swing .. Rick or are Funky can dance..you have to fell it in your body also playing to the snare on 2 and 4

[@haroldkellermier5502]

Pretty much when uncle Larry says something about music we should all listen 😊

[@commodoor6549]

I've never been a fan of using a metronome. I started playing with other musicians at an early age and never looked back. As far as playing in front of the beat, on the beat, or behind the beat... I always understood that as a cultural thing. I'd always heard that west coast jazz musicians play behind the beat and the east coast players are in front of the beat. I like to think of George Benson when it comes to timing on solos. George, like some of the other jazz greats, doesnt treat time so rigidly. In fact I've heard it said that his music is difficult to transcribe because he's in and out of time. You don't get this good with time playing with a metronome. You get it by playing with others. But maybe it's a characteristic with jazz to think of meter in a more fluid sense, akin to the idea that there's no such thing as bad notes... it's a matter of when to use them and how they resolve them. Time, IMHO, is similar. And we know this is true when we hear people like James Brown. Some of the best grooves were from his band which sped up and slowed down within songs. Idk, maybe it is a white person thing.

[@bobbyarthur-yf3yf]

Phrasing like speaking and well this intro ( and i do acknowledge your emmense talent … sorta litterally makes his case …

[@matt_greene]

this is how i imagine the sky is permanently in the uk

[@southsidejohnny5624]

You never heard of Scotland then? We can get up to a balmy 12 degrees Celsius in summer, if we’re lucky. It has been known to stop raining sometimes too, but I’m only 63 so don’t remember back that far.

[@jamesmarkham7489]

Great exercise. Play quarter notes with only one click as the whole note. And play REALLY SLOW. make that gap between clicks painful. Then speed it up. If you can play something super slow you can’t actually play it.

[@BeefNEggs057]

I wondered if he meant you - you seem like you’re as in time as anyone around.

[@PaulAzizan]

John “i think” Nathan Cody

[@myguitarsandme]

Oh no! I'm afraid John Cordy. I always thought I had good time. Now I realize I don't. This turns my world upside down. I guess it's back to the wood shed for me. 😂

[@SplooshNoonley]

Didn't know you lived in Manhattan!

[@officialWWM]

Keef Richard’s has left the chat…

[@musicafteroldage]

I love the fact that he uses a wide/bass strap. "Guitar" straps should be illegal !

[@musicafteroldage]

@user-ri3gh6yb5k Well dear Sir - a quick google search made me realize that I indeed need one of those! Any recommendations on how to convince the wife that I need yet another strap? LOL

[@GByePorkPieHat]

I’m a very rhythmic-oriented player. THOUGHT my time was SOLID. Alas…

[@garyeggleton1142]

vibrato was the fourth thing

[@alexervin4321]

theres no such thing. music is your impulse feeling, some people dont get it. as long as you are into that specific piece.

[@johnplaystheguitar123]

Ah so this is the garden that hurt you

[@OlivvYeah]

So, you decided to play outside

[@aplanebagel]

Switch to bass for 6 months and your timing will improve tenfold. ;)

[@christopherkuefler9839]

Very tasty!

[@mattdelany6799]

Do what Tory Slusher does. She is the best guitarist in the world. Tom takes lessons from her. He is a mediocre guitar salesman, just like the rest of the mediocre Nashville posers. All salesmen that sell gear to pay the bills. Tory Slusher is the real deal.

[@VladimirVladimirovich1952]

What the f**k is a “Shudio”?

[@jw6588]

3:30 That bit about "white people" not having rhythm is so ignorant for various reasons.

[@frealdohmohammed1388]

Listen to albert and bb king. Stidy it. Always killing the one. Thats why no one else can do that. Licks aint the thing, it's the one.

[@jimbaxter8488]

Who cares? Music ebbs and flows…if you are playing on the beat you will bore your audience to tears….screw the over analyzers and cork sniffing morons…play guitar, have fun, create and innovate …make mistakes, make huge mistakes! Color this idiot world with beautiful music and let the self righteous critics and judges stew in their own prison of their own making…

[@yoopermichigan]

Did I hear that correctly? White people in particular need to work on timing?

[@TheRycooder]

Tom was going to do 4 but stopped on 3 things…. Great bid he had.