How to measure the bpm we are playing?

[Marlot]

Had some free time between two guitar students, so i took a quick listen to MAB playing fast. Found a video where MAB is playing 32nd notes at 135 bpm.

32nd notes = 8 notes per beat.

converted to a eight note tempo that would be 540 bpm.

But in my opinion it sounds more like a machine playing than a human. So what is the point?

exactly, thats what I thoguth , lol at this speed is this the fastest iany instrument player ever? he is fastest than art tatum i guess... and also has more technique than grasso or any other jazz player
is amazing
can you send the link of the video?

[Marlot]

Sorry to be a dismissive, I see you are a beginner. I shouldn’t be so rude.

Shred guitar and jazz guitar are kind of two separate approaches to the instrument. Jazz guitarists can be technically very adept players but we do it to play musical ideas we like. We also improvise a great deal. sometimes tempos are very quick, which poses a different set of challenges to rock shredding.

Rock technique is more about the ‘wow factor’ - impressive for its own sake (there are elements of that in classical music too sometimes.) shred solos are very often composed in advance.

Re the tempos thing. Rock players tend to play slower tempos more subdivided. So while Pasquale plays eighth notes at 360, a rock player would play sixteenth notes at 180.

It’s the same physical speed, but the tempo is different (it feels different too.) When rock players play faster they subdivide more; maybe 16th triplets or 32nd notes.

So tempo doesn’t really tell you how fast a player is playing. I don’t really know what various players maximum speeds are and tbh I don’t find this a very interesting aspect of music. For instance I think Vai uses his technique to play more interesting musical ideas than MAB for example although MAB is probably faster in terms of raw speed.

hope that helps and sorry for being a d!ck.

dont worry christian, thanks or your explanation anyways

[mr. beaumont]

For the record, like him or not, MAB is one of the coolest, most genuine dudes you'll ever meet in the guitar world.

[djg]

For the record, like him or not, MAB is one of the coolest, most genuine dudes you'll ever meet in the guitar world.

yeah, he seems really likeable. some good insights too:

[Marlot]

For the record, like him or not, MAB is one of the coolest, most genuine dudes you'll ever meet in the guitar world.

yes I know people who have met him in real life, and they said something like that. A big talent and impressive musician.

[Marlot]

For the record, like him or not, MAB is one of the coolest, most genuine dudes you'll ever meet in the guitar world.

<br><br>yes I know people who have met him in real life, and they said something like that. A big talent and impressive musician.

[rpjazzguitar]

Hi. Since I am a beginner I hope to don`t make a very obvious or silly question. For example I think I was playing at 120 bpm. How do I count this. I set the metronome to 120 and play 8 notes per each bar 4/4 or 4 notes per each bar 4/4? How would be the right 120 bpm . How do you count this normally?

I think I understand the question. Usually, music is divided into bars. 4/4 is the most common in jazz. 4 beats per measure and a quarter note gets one beat.

You can play a whole note (same duration as 4 quarter notes) and that will amount to one note per measure. Or you can play 64th notes and that will be 256 notes per measure.

When people talk about bpm it relates to the time signature, for example, 4/4. So, at 120 beats per 60 seconds, each beat will take a half second. You can try that with a stopwatch.

You will find that 300 bpm or so is a very fast tempo for jazz. Capable boppers will try to play eighth notes at that speed. That would be a pace of 600 notes (not beats) per minute.

So, to grasp all this, you need to understand time signature and note value. It might help to get a metronome (there are free apps for your phone) so that you can hear what they sound like.

As far as actual music goes, personally, I respond to fast playing when I hear it, but I don't seek it out. My favorite players are not speed demons.

[Christian Miller]

For the record, like him or not, MAB is one of the coolest, most genuine dudes you'll ever meet in the guitar world.

i daresay more so than some jazzers I’ve heard about haha