I’m a 16 years old guitarist, i mainly play funk, blues and rock, i understand quite well rhythm, subdivision etc, but i’m really bad at timing, staying on time. To the point sometimes i feel embarassed to play with others and record in studio. I know i should start practicing with the metronome, but more specifically how should i practice?
If your timing is off, then your rhythm is off. Rhythm is literally about playing the notes in the right places. If your pulse if all over the place, then the rhythm is wrong.
maybe rushing/dragging?
I realise this is pulse related. But if still argue that if you're rushing or dragging, then your rhythm is off.
Lol. No He just told you he understands the rhythm, he struggles to hit the pocket. Not the same thing
Explain to me how you can be good at rhythm if you're not playing at the right time? I realise they aren't the same thing 'by definition', but they equate to the same result. If your note comes late, for example, then one of your previous notes or rests was too long, so the rhythm is not right.
Play simple rythyms slowly with the metronome. Quarter notes, then eights. Steady. Absolutely locked in to the metronome at all times. 60bpm, escalating to maybe 120bpm. Add complexity from there.
If you have trouble getting started, just clap quarter notes with the metronome.
Metronome
You need to start playing rhythms slowly with a metronome. Slow and controlled and then speed it up only when it’s perfect. “I can only play it fast” is something I’ve heard countless times from students. And I want to respond well, actually you can’t do that either. It’s still messy and dirty. The beat being slower just shows an even bigger divide in the timing
Count to four. Strum down on each number. Put &s in between. Strum up on each &. Any straight duple rhythm will be a variation on this eighth note subdivision (double speed for sixteenths, quadruple speed for thirty-seconds). When you get a feel for that, try working on triplets in an alternate picked/strummed pattern and a down-up-down/down-down-up pattern.
It's because you don't trust the beat. Try strumming a chord to 100 BPM (Might as well be a funky chord).
Your goal isn't to be ON the beat, but right behind it. Do that for a while and start trying to rush and drag the beat. You'll learn to trust yourself to be where you want to be.
Put a drum groove backing track up on YouTube and play over it. You’ll practice playing in a mock live setting and it will help you be more comfortable when you jam with others
Maybe these videos will give you some ideas.
Find a rythm practice book or app.
Studies For Rhythm In Five Books for example
I’d just do your warmup and technique practice with a metronome, start taking away beats as you get more comfortable, ex start with all four then just 2 and 4 then just 4. Some metronome apps also have a way to have some clicks randomly not sound. Just incorporating that into what you’re already working on can help a lot
Cory Wong has some great stuff on Youtube where he talks about practicing rhythm specifically for funk guitar stuff.
more specifically how should i practice?
start practicing with the metronome
Yes.
Work on subdividing - if you're playing in 4/4, you want to have 16ths in your head at least.
Also practise having "bigger beats" on the metronome. If you're playing 1/4=140bpm, try having the metronome set to 70, or even 35bpm.
Another part of the problem is you can be great at playing with a metronome, but be unable to play rhythmically with another person. The only solution to this is playing with other people, and listening to them more than you're concentrating on playing your own parts - trusting them to be rhythmical and almost treating them as a metronome.
Metronome.
Is there a jazz band at your school?
It sounds like your problem isn't knowing when to play, but being physically unable to play at the correct beat due to struggling with technique
Is that's the case, it's not a theory problem but a r/guitar problem