metronome

A metronome is a practice tool that produces a steady pulse (or beat) to help musicians play rhythms accurately. The pulses are measured in beats-per-minute (BPM). Most metronomes are capable of playing beats from 35 to 250 BPM.

A metronome is a device which is used to indicate how quickly a piece of music should be played. It can be adjusted to make regular sounds at different speeds.

For example, say you have a piece of music that says 78 BPM. What is this? You set the metronome to 78 and it produces a click on every beat. Then, when you play along, you can hear if you're singing or playing is not at the correct speed.

A metronome keeps track of timing for you, and as a mechanical device, is accurate and consistent. It forces you to pay attention to where the beat is and prevents you from rushing or dragging the beat. But the metronome benefits don't end there.

A metronome will ensure you pay attention to rhythm and time in every single bar you play. A metronome helps players, whether they are beginners or professionals, keep a consistent tempo, so you don't slow down or speed up.

It can help establish the time of a piece of music and ensure that you're organizing the pulse of the rhythm in your head and your hands. A metronome is also beneficial in building speed. It's a classic tortoise-and-hare situation.

Do REAL Musicians Use Metronomes? Overwhelmingly, yes. Many pro-level musicians, including Eric Barfield, swear by practicing with a metronome. Many jazz bass players, whose role often involves playing quarter note-driven walking bass lines, also practice almost entirely with metronomes.

Singers need metronomes. A lot of composers and even songwriters include very particular, and even not so particular, tempo markings in their works. These markings go from vague, like “with movement,” to an exact number of beats per minute, like 132.

Musicians practise with metronomes to improve their timing, especially the ability to stick to a regular tempo. Metronome practice helps internalize a clear sense of timing and tempo. Composers and conductors often use a metronome as a standard tempo reference - and may play, sing, or conduct to the metronome.

Polish Up Your Rhythm You need to have good rhythm to keep your timing with other musicians. Once you've practiced with a metronome for a while you'll have a better internal rhythm and will be able to more easily maintain your timing even without it.

Metronomes are devices (now commonly in the form of an iPhone app) that help keep steady time when practicing music. A song generally needs to keep a steady tempo (think speed), otherwise it will sound rushed, dragged, or otherwise chaotic.

The best time for using a metronome is when you're working on your rhythm or speed. You should also consider using the metronome while you practice your repertoire, at least some of the time.