Timing is Everything
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Timing is everything. You have most likely heard that term and in many cases it seems to be very true. In music that term is one of the most important. Without timing there is no music. Even if you can play a few songs on your own, unless you can play it in time, you will never be able to play with any accompaniment.
Timing in music is a simple concept that takes practice to master. Your time signature, when written, is displayed like a fraction. If you have a time signature that is 4 over 4 it means you have four beats per measure, quarter note gets the beat.
The beat is kept by the drums, or if you are playing solo you can use a metronome. You can put together any number of notes in a measure, as long as they amount to four beats. For example: one whole note is worth four beats, two half notes are worth four beats, four quarter notes, and if you are using eighth notes, you would use eight notes.
To make it easy you should start by playing quarter notes. You could even count out loud to keep time. Until you get familiar with timing you can practice playing the same note or chord. Remember that no amount of chords you are able to play will amount to a great song, unless you are able to play on time.