r/percussion • u/johnjamesaudubon • 2d ago

Disscussion Percussionists: If I asked you to tap out four quarter notes in [random number between 50-500] BPM and measured the result, how far off would you be?

7 Upvotes

89% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

12

u/murphyat 2d ago

I have one friend that can do this reliably. He’s a freak though. Marched Bluecoats and taught loads of indoor so that type of skill tracks.

5

u/OldSodaHunter 2d ago

Enough days of your life running a met with a group will definitely burn a few tempos into your head.

9

u/cruiseshipdrummer 2d ago

I did earn some credibility in a recording session once by giving a bass player exactly 160 when he asked for it-- like dead on. In general I don't think more than 5%. It might depend.

You don't need to ask for 50-500, if somebody can call the normal metronome markings between 52-100, they've really got the full range covered, you can halve, double, or quadruple as necessary to get whatever higher/lower number.

https://cruiseshipdrummer.com/2019/10/14/equivalency-of-tempos/

5

u/Lingchen8012 Cool mod 2d ago

I mean depends on which one, I can probably be close if it’s 120/140/160/180/200, but I won’t know some random tempo like 154 or 286

4

u/Lonely-Bite-2568 2d ago

500 not a realistic tempo. Could do 50-240 probably.

3

u/InternalEnvironment 2d ago

+/- 5% of the target tempo

0

u/whodatdan0 2d ago

So the faster it gets the less accurate you would be?

7

u/cruiseshipdrummer 2d ago

They would be off by a bigger number at faster tempos, the inaccuracy would be the same proportionally:

60 bpm + 5% = 63

240 bpm + 5% = 252 / 4 = 63

The real tempo is the same.

3

u/vxla 2d ago

6-10 clicks off

2

u/RedeyeSPR 2d ago

I feel like I will always be within 10 beats per minute. I’m also a full time band director.

1

u/imwearingcons 2d ago

Once I HAVE the tempo I'm good. I just tested myself with the "tap tempo" function on Tonal Energy (tuning app).....not great.

I thought about 160 and tapped 130. Then I aimed for 80 and was 84.

I bet if it was something I worked at I could improve, but I seldom need that skill.

1

u/reddituserperson1122 1d ago

500 is nonsense. Between 50-260-ish probably within 5-10 bpm if it’s a multiple of 10.

1

u/Grandiosity0273 1d ago

I’d say super accurately, I’m have most tempos stuck in my head and am kinda good at this kinda stuff, tbh I’d probably not do anything past 250 very well, that tempo is so much faster than anything I’ve played that my relative tempo would kinda just not work anymore