Whether you play only for fun or for the occasional paid gig, you want to play your best. One simple way to take your playing up a notch is to establish a consistent sense of rhythm, and there is no better way to do that than with a metronome.
Metronomes are not straightjackets; they are tools, and like many other tools in your musical toolchest, they are a very cheap investment in you and your lifetime enjoyment of music. Here are three things a metronome can help you do:
1. Develop a strong sense of tempo(s)
If you’ve practiced various pieces at a particular tempo – say, 100-120 Beats Per Minute (BPM) – you’ll be able to pick up a new piece of music with that tempo marking and know pretty well the desired tempo. This is a huge help when you’re sight-reading, but it comes in handy at other times, as well…like on the night of a performance when you’re distracted or have a really bad case of nerves. 
2. Be a better ensemble/section player
This goes hand-in-hand with the previous point, but it has more to do with keeping the tempo rather than establishing it. As your group/section is playing along, it’s very easy to drag or rush, depending upon any number of factors…or even drag and rush in different sections, if you’re accustomed to hearing your favorite performer/group playing it that way. But what if your favorite artist’s version differs from someone else’s? Practicing occasionally with a metronome, especially when learning a new piece, can help you establish a consistent tempo. This doesn’t restrain you; it liberates you, because now you can choose when it’s appropriate to change tempos, rather than follow the dictates of “that’s how so-and-so plays it”!
3. Master your part
One of the key ways a metronome helps you as a musician isn’t physical; it’s mental. While all of us know that we can master difficult passages by practicing them at a slower tempo, then speeding them up once we’ve worked out the kinks, our own minds often work against us, especially on selections we’ve heard before (and perhaps even played in the past). Have you ever tried to slow down the Barber of Seville? It’s hard to slow Bugs Bunny down, isn’t it?
Playing at a reduced tempo along with your metronome helps you start slow and finish slow…thus mastering that tricky passage more quickly than you might have otherwise. Once that is accomplished, a metronome allows you to increase the tempo gradually and retain the ground you just gained.
What we use
There are many good metronomes available, but we have two and can offer a few thoughts on them specifically.
If you like the look and operation of a “traditional metronome” – like the one your piano teacher or music director likely had when you were a kid – something like the Wittner mahogany metronome is a good choice. Tempo is set by sliding the weight up or down the pendulum, and the Wittner’s wind-up operation means never having to buy batteries. Well-crafted and beautiful, it’s both a metronome and a classy decoration for your home studio. Priced at around $100, it isn’t cheap…but it will likely last you a lifetime.
One of the best all-around metronomes money can buy, in my opinion, is the Korg KDM-2 Digital Metronome. It functions as a pitch tuner as well (providing a note to which to tune your instrument), but as you’d expect, it really shines as a metronome. It’s speaker can be heard over even a small group’s playing – you can use it with earphones, if you prefer – and it includes a flashing bulb on top for a visual cue as well. Tempo markings are on the front, and tempo can be set or adjusted via up/down buttons or a quick rotation of the large wheel on its face. You can even tap the button a few times to have it determine the tempo! And at less than half the price of the Wittner, it’s feature-packed and wallet-friendly. If I could only have one metronome, this would be the one.
Bottom line
Using a metronome helps you learn your parts better; it also helps you begin and play them more consistently. As a result, you’ll likely notice that it makes you a more respected member of any group(s) in which you play. There are few things more frustrating than trying to play with someone who can’t hold a tempo, and those who can “keep the beat” make playing that much more relaxed and enjoyable.
Break out your metronome tonight, or if you don’t have one yet, get one! You’ll be glad you did.
Keep playing,
Mark
Related Articles:
Making Music Magazine is a print publication that caters to people who play music as an avocation, not as a vocation. Many of us PTMs fall into that category, and for those who do, MMM is an excellent (additional!) resource.
Bass Guitar, Brass, Guitar, Percussion, Piano, Strings, Woodwinds | Mark September 16, 2009 | 
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So how did you get to this point? Night after night of scales, etudes, technique drills, exercises. You can see improvement, and that’s good…but it just aren’t as fulfilling as you might have hoped. What now?
