A few weeks ago, I jammed with a group of friends and noticed that my timing on the guitar was off. I couldn’t seem to play in sync with the song’s tempo. Maybe it’s because I usually play alone, without a band — and I never realized that my rhythm wasn’t consistent!
The next day after that jam session, I went to a music store and bought a Yamaha electronic drum kit
I figured that to improve my rhythm and timing, I needed to understand the drums — since they essentially set the tempo of a song.
Three weeks in, my timing has improved a lot. With the drums, counting is essential to get the groove right. I now have this internal counting system in my head whenever I play.
I still have a long way to go before I become a decent musician. And with my busy schedule, I probably won’t clock in 10,000 hours to master it — but music has piqued my curiosity and improved my life in more ways than one.