If you already know what BPM means, than this short blog post is for you.
BPM as every beginner guitarist or bassist knows is Beats Per Minute.
A Metronome is Useless if you Don’t Know the BPM for a New Song
Yes, obviously metronomes are useful in learning guitar.
But in learning a new song, just having or using a metronome isn’t enough. You need to decide on the BPM for your new song.
Poor Ways to Determine the Beats Per Minute for a New Song?
I am focusing my recent guitar studies (18 month advanced beginner guitarist) on playing songs from my Old Town School of Folk Music Songbook. You can purchase the 60th edition of this book at Abe Books (used, of course).
The OTSFM Songbook has many useful features but it’s 100+ songs lack two important pieces of information in learning a new song:
- BPM or Beats Per Minute.
- Strum Pattern or suggested strum pattern.
My Early Mistakes in Determining BPM for a New Song I am Learning
- Research the song for BPM on the Internet.
- This wasn’t that helpful.
- Even when I found suggested BPM they were in a range like 100-115 BPM for example.
- Play the song on YouTube, imitate the BPM with an older, physical metronome.
- Again, this didn’t work great for me.
Use JustinGuitar’s Tap Tempo Tool to determine the BPM for a New Song You are Learning
- Find a rendition of the song on YouTube that you like.
- Strum along with your guitar (mute the strings, it’s just percussion) to see if you like the BPM.
- If you like the BPM, do the next step.
- Use JustinGuitar’s Tap Tempo Tool on your mobile phone to match the YouTube song BPM that you like. That worked for me.
By the way, Justin Guitar is best known for his online guitar lessons. I have used them for easily one year now.
Here’s Justin Guitar’s instruction in using his Tap Tempo Tool.
You just tap the orange button with your finger while your new song plays. The Tempo Calculator will give you its best estimate of the BPM.
Using the Tap Tempo Tool designed by Justin Guitar worked for me.
When I determine the BPM for a song I am studying I write the BPM in pencil into the OTSFM Songbook. Over time, the correct strum pattern “comes to me” automatically and I also write that into my OTSFM Songbook, in pencil.
Thanks for Visiting Shoshin Guitarist Today
When I learned how to use Justin Guitar’s Tap Tempo Tool, I wanted to share that technique with you also.
Yes, if you are a Shoshin Guitarist you approach learning guitar (or bass) with a “beginner’s mind”. Try it. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced guitarist/bassist, stay open to learning new things every day, just like a beginner.