Minor Pentatonic scale/ METRONOME

[Spanishfly]

I was wondering at what tempo should I set my metronome (i just got it) to try a strict alternate picking exercise of connecting the dots of diffrent minor pentatonic scale patterns. Its just a simple 5th fret to 3rd fret on High e string, then 5th fret to 3rd fret on the B string then 8th fret to 5th fret on the e and ect. . .using strict alternate picking. What I am not sure of is really how to use the metronome to help me, i have a Korg MA-30 metronome. Any suggestions or any things I should practice with it, feel free to post anything.

Click on the link to see the BREWTALITY lession on guitarworld.com that i was trying to explain lol. Its march 02, zakk wylde

THANKS!



http://guitarworld.com/lessons/artists/2002/0302.zakk.html

[ledzeppelinSG7]

start with the metronome so slowly you could do the excercise in your sleep, and move it up to faster speeds gradually after you can get the excercise perfectly at each speed. when you get to a speed when you start to make mistakes, go back down to the last speed you were at and play it perfectly there until you can move it faster.

[Rayman]

The speed depends on how good you are, and how familiar you are with the exercise you're trying to play.

Try starting the metronome at 80 beats per minute. Then start tapping your foot to every second beat. Once your foot is locked on, count 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc - with the '1' happening at the same time as the foot tap.

Now think about playing the exercise at the tempo you're counting at. Seem achievable? Too fast? Too slow? Speed it up or slow it down or just go for it.

Once you get used to using the metronome, crank the speed up occasionally. Ledzeppelin said to immediately slow the metronome down when you get to a speed where you start making mistakes. That's good advice most of the time - but every now and then just turn up the heat and get a sense of what it feels like to play at that speed.

It's OK to be ridiculous about it. Sometimes I'm playing something at 130, and everythings nice and in place and comfortable. Then I turn it up to 160 and try to play the same thing. It's not perfect, it's not in control, but I get the feeling that it's achievable. Then I turn the speed back down to something sensible and get things back under control. It's a cheap way of pretending you have another guitarist sitting in the room, with the ability to play the exercise at 160.

Once you can nail the exercise at 140, crank it up to 170 every now and then. You'll get there eventually.