using a metronome without sounding like a robot

[peeplj]

Have you tried playing along with recordings? I do that sometimes. If it's too fast, you can get a slowdowner program or something.

That's a very good idea.

Also, if you have a local session, but you're not yet ready to join in, take a recorder and record the session, then you can play with the recording at your leisure to get solid on the tunes.

Even after you join in the circle, record the sessions. If someone brings in a new tune, having a recording of it will let you learn to play it the way they play it, instead of trying to find it online where the setting you find may or may not work well with the original.

--James

[Aerowhip]

Hey All -

Regarding David Cantieni's videos --

I am NOT an unbiased voice in this matter, as he is a friend of mine and my teacher, but I do suggest before judging someone's playing you should take a listen to something besides these teaching videos, or even a short sound clip on a flute-maker's site.

Slowing something down to the point of making it perfect but mechanical is not a goal, but A (but not necessarily THE) means to better technique. From there, you can add all the heart you want.

As the local TV station says, "that's our opinion, we welcome yours." (Only I actually mean it!)

L.

[askoarras]

Trouble with playing along to recordings is you can think you're great cos Mr Molloy sounds so great. The test is probably to record what you're doing while playing along, so that Mr Molloy stays out of the mix. An interesting thing to do is to start with your metrognome and then get someone to stop it while continuing to play and to record the result. Then see where, how, when and if you and the metronome are still in sync, when you play back the recording. A metronome doesn't always fix internal rhythm problems - slow yourself down and listen to that. That's kinda revealing. But then who am I to judge, Judy?

[Cork]

hi folks , im a flute learner and after recording myself i realised my rhythm is all over the place , so I got myslef a digital metronome. I used the preset triple time and 4/4 time for jigs and reels obviously enough and then realised it helped me to play like a robot!
what I do now is just use it to play on the ONE ( of the 1 2 3 or 1 2 3 4 ) and it seems better.
Is this how folks tend to use metronomes for ITM?
Any tricks Im missing here?
Thanks.

I have a small metronome, and, if I use it, I use it much more when I am NOT actually playing.

A metronome is useful in getting a tune organised, to the player, especially a tune that is new to the player. My usual approach is to switch the metronome on and then find the actual meter, or speed, of a tune. By having the metronome on, while listening, while reading a score, or while simply working from memory, I can more easily "see" the tones, and the rests, on, and between, the beats, which helps me to better, and more quickly, understand the structure of a tune. Of course, temporarily reducing the metronome's speed, to make that job easier, until the player is up to speed, is OK.

All that, BEFORE picking up the flute!

Then, sometimes (and only sometimes), I play the tune with the metronome on, at some comfortable speed, for maybe the first few times through it, but no more than that. Or, and to agree with some of the earlier comments on this thread, I switch the metronome off, before it gets in the way.

When working a tune up to speed, a few seconds with a metronome can tell how much progress has been made. And, a metronome can tell if the player is going too fast (Yes, it can happen.).

[Flutered]

tap, tap, tap ... tap your foot.
when listening,
when learning,
when playing.

sure, there ain't no rules and do what you please but doing the above is a pretty much all you need.

[doyler]

thanks for all the help people.

[Ro3b]

Playing to a steady beat, which is all a metronome will teach you, isn't what makes you sound like a robot. You have to also learn to play with swing, to put the accents in the right places, to work out where on the beat you like to put the notes, all that. But playing at a steady tempo is absolutely essential, and for that, the 'nome is your best friend.

If you're afraid of sounding robotic, try introducing swing into your rhythm. Experiment with playing on the front of the beat, or behind it. Kick the backbeats a little. See where all that takes you.

If the tick, tick, tick of the metronome bothers you, use a drum machine. You can download a decent freeware one here.

[tin tin]

I agree with Rob. I'd add that one has to know how to use a metronome. For instance, if one's playing a jig and has the 'nome play 123-456, well, the tune will lack any swing and won't sound much like a jig. But put the beat on 1 and 4, or just on 1, and there's enough space to accent certain beats and add some swing.

By the way, flutist Thomas Nyfenger referred to the metro-gnome as a small person living in the Paris subway...

[Cork]

tap, tap, tap ... tap your foot.
when listening,
when learning,
when playing.

sure, there ain't no rules and do what you please but doing the above is a pretty much all you need.

Tap foot, tap feet, clap hands, yes!

A metronome, however, and here I refer to an ordinary time-keeper, is a bit like having an orchestral conductor in a box. Although I rarely use one, there are times, frankly, when a metronome can relieve a player of one task, to then allow the player to concentrate on another task; not with every tune, but once in a while. Again, if I use a metronome, at all, nearly all of my time with it is done before I pick up my instrument, and, other than for maybe a few trial runs, and for occasional use as a musical speedometer, I do not advocate using a metronome while playing.

It has been said that, when it comes to music, practise, practise, practise should NEVER make perfect!!

:-D

[monkey587]

This is not metronome related, but you might find lilting to be helpful. I'm not an expert, but on Friday I rode my bike 15 miles to work, and kept myself entertained by lilting the tunes I'd been working on the night before. The next time I played, even on other tunes, I felt like my rhythm was much convincing. I think it's because I was practicing the tunes and the rhythm and everything without involving the element of fine motor movement coordination.

Most of us are probably accustomed to speaking, walking, etc with a fairly regular rhythm, whether we realize it or not. It is possible to use that in music, but convincing ourselves that making music can be a natural thing, as well.

[daiv]

I would urge you to put the metronome away as it detracts you from developing a nice rhythm in the long run. Why is this happening? I can't say for sure but I suspect that its because you, as a relative beginner to the music, are trying to fit the phrasing of the music into a fixed external framework of metronome clicks and that doesn't work so well. You're already noticing the most detrimental side effect of metronome playing already - robotic music. If you keep up with it it will become a habit which you will have trouble getting rid of.

What I would suggest is to slow down your playing until your awareness of it is increased. Then, play your tune slowly while keeping awareness of speeding up or slowing down midtune. This way you are gradually creating an internally developed steady tempo, built around the temporal consistency of your phrasing patterns. It allows the beginner to improve tempo steadiness while priviledging the development of good phrasing, which is a major factor of why this music is lively.

Many people also use things like tapping to assist with keeping tempo. How's this different from using a metronome you might ask? Its different because the tapping is still controlled internally by you. You are not really trying to fit the notes to a foot that goes on automatically by itself, instead it becomes just a physical manifestation of the main beat of your phrasing.

Yeah so thats a lot of wordy stuff. But the take-home message is stop metronoming and work on playing with more awareness.

metronomes are great! the best thing i do with mine is keep it in the drawer 99% of the time.

just as with any tool, over using it can be detrimental. its best use is for building awareness, not for rushing notes at full speed between the beat.

who needs help playing quickly? i know i dont. when you're first starting to play slowly (to work on the awareness you talk about), its nice to have a kick in the pants to remind you that you speed up after two phrases--a nice metronome set at 60 bpm or so. once you get the message, the metronome should be put in the drawer.

that being said i havent used my metronome to play irish music for over a year.

[Guinness]

...so I got myslef a digital metronome. I used the preset triple time and 4/4 time for jigs and reels obviously enough and then realised it helped me to play like a robot!

Although related, they are not the same: meter, phrasing, tempo, articulation. Initially, and for the most part, the metronome is used to help establish constant tempo. That's obviously a good thing in dance music. It also helps with the placement of accents (another good thing). OTOH, I don't find the metronome particularly useful for phrasing, breathing, or rhythmic variation (e.g., introducting back beat's on the fly).

The metronome will only facilitate a certain aspect of rhythmic discipline and if the other aspects are ignored, then yes, the outcome will be robotic playing. That said, how can using one be a bad idea? (Psst, it's also used quite a bit in recorded music, aka click track).

[lixnaw]

If you don't like metronomes, then you might like this http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=48443

[Flutered]

This is not metronome related, but you might find lilting to be helpful. I'm not an expert, but on Friday I rode my bike 15 miles to work, and kept myself entertained by lilting the tunes I'd been working on the night before. The next time I played, even on other tunes, I felt like my rhythm was much convincing. I think it's because I was practicing the tunes and the rhythm and everything without involving the element of fine motor movement coordination.

Most of us are probably accustomed to speaking, walking, etc with a fairly regular rhythm, whether we realize it or not. It is possible to use that in music, but convincing ourselves that making music can be a natural thing, as well.

Yes!, I often find this when I'm out for a walk and there's a tune running round my head. You can fit a jig or reel rhythm very nicely with your footsteps. The term jaunty jig comes to mind.

[eedbjp]

I've found that setting the metronome for only the first beat like you mentioned does work, because it still leaves you open to flexibility within the measure. If you really have a problem keeping time, then being a little robotic in the short term isn't so bad. Then you can put it in the drawer and see if it's been internalized.