Metronome, is it NECESSARY?

[falkbeer]

The metronome helps me out tremendously. It gets me in the habit of tapping my foot.

I´m a chronical foot tapper too! I just can´t help myself!
Imagine a symphony orchestra with 100 foot tapping musicians!

[Tootler]

What you say makes good sense! I suppose I have forgotten what it is like to be a student! But when I learn a new piece I begin very slowly and then gradually increse speed. (sometimes over several weeks if it is a difficult piece). But I have no objection of practising with the metronome to give you a hint of the pace. What I object against is playing or performing music "metronomeically" or mechanically. Anyone who has even a basic notion of music knows it will kill all humanity and emotion in music. Just try listening to a jig played by a computer! A piece by Chopin will become virtually unrecognizable without the human touch!!!

You do have a point but in dance music, it is important that you keep the beat as steady as possible so that you should try to ensure that you are as regular as possible on the beat. Between the beats, you can stretch and compress notes to make the feel more human as long as you can land on the beat in time.

On the other hand, I had an interesting experience some years ago. I was at a disco and most of the music was from the 60's and 70's. Towards the end of the evening, someone put on some "more recent" stuff where the beat had been generated by a drum synthesizer. The beat was absolutely spot on, but it was very difficult to dance to. The beat was just too mechanical.

However steady you are, no one is perfect and we adapt to the small unevennesses of the beat.

Geoff

Geoff

[bepoq]

I think that one ought never to forget what it is like to be a student - that is, one ought never to consider oneself past learning in and from the tradition. I'm not going to try to discuss across traditions here (Chopin and co., jazz, etc.), but for myself and for many very fine to legendary Irish musicians, (Martin Hayes, John Carty, Tommy Keane all spring to mind as examples of people who have voiced this either to me or publicly, but I think you'll find it a pretty consistent view among fine Irish musicians) they are always studying, always exploring, always attempting to improve.

What say you Peter?

As to the metronome, it is a very useful tool for a number of applications in various different directions practice wise, particularly, I find, among adult beginner students who may neither have the natural pick up of of rhythm and the muscle memory and speed associated with the sort of quick learning of it that kids have, nor the humility to notice they are doing something poorly, nor the patience to cope with that. As a disciplining agent, it is unsurpassed, and I still practice with mine regularly, though certainly not exclusively.

[crickett]

FYI
In case you want to know whether using a metronome is for you before buying one, there is a free on-line metronome that I have used before. I would be worried using it if I had dial-up, but if you have a faster connection, it is not bad.

http://www.metronomeonline.com/

[irish69]

The metronome was not inteneded as a practice tool! It´s just a more way of giving the musician a hint on the tempo. Andante, Allegro and Moderato isn´t very precise, but M.M. 76 or M.M. 100 is! I always use it in my sheet music.

I think it´s very unfortunate that many people believe that music should be played in an exact tempo. This is a misconception of music. Great musicians in the old days like Heifez, Kreiseler and Segovia used very flexible tempo and lots of rubato in their recordings. Imagine a slow air played in an exact tempo! Huh...

I agree with most of what you've said here and in the rest of this thread. There's a crucial point you're missing though. Flexible tempo is well and good if your playing solo or if its a rehearsed performance. In sessions where there is a group of people playing together, I see flexible tempo resulting in cacophony.

Just try listening to a jig played by a computer! A piece by Chopin will become virtually unrecognizable without the human touch!!!

If everyone is playing notes differently the tune has amazing ability to become recognizable too. Not to mention, tunes and Chopin are two different animals.
Cheers
Rob

[falkbeer]

What you say makes good sense! I suppose I have forgotten what it is like to be a student! But when I learn a new piece I begin very slowly and then gradually increse speed. (sometimes over several weeks if it is a difficult piece). But I have no objection of practising with the metronome to give you a hint of the pace. What I object against is playing or performing music "metronomeically" or mechanically. Anyone who has even a basic notion of music knows it will kill all humanity and emotion in music. Just try listening to a jig played by a computer! A piece by Chopin will become virtually unrecognizable without the human touch!!!

You do have a point but in dance music, it is important that you keep the beat as steady as possible so that you should try to ensure that you are as regular as possible on the beat. Between the beats, you can stretch and compress notes to make the feel more human as long as you can land on the beat in time.

On the other hand, I had an interesting experience some years ago. I was at a disco and most of the music was from the 60's and 70's. Towards the end of the evening, someone put on some "more recent" stuff where the beat had been generated by a drum synthesizer. The beat was absolutely spot on, but it was very difficult to dance to. The beat was just too mechanical.

However steady you are, no one is perfect and we adapt to the small unevennesses of the beat.

Geoff

Geoff

I think you nailed it - a steady beat isn´t the same as a mechanical beat.

[Ceili_whistle_man]

Metronome (me-truh-nohm) noun; An underground train-loving French dwarf; also,
A mechanical or electrical instrument that makes repeated clicking sounds at an adjustable pace, used for marking rhythm, esp. in practicing music.
(Invented, or at least patented, you can argue the point, by Maezel http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM1MBGl[/url] circa 1815)
(Edited to fix URL, didn't work before.)
Each to their own, I use one only very rarely, and I understand that they can be a great help to beginners and established players alike.

[falkbeer]

Metronome (me-truh-nohm) noun; An underground train-loving French dwarf; also,
A mechanical or electrical instrument that makes repeated clicking sounds at an adjustable pace, used for marking rhythm, esp. in practicing music.
(Invented, or at least patented, you can argue the point, by Maezel http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM1MBGl[/url] circa 1815)
Each to their own, I use one only very rarely, and I understand that they can be a great help to beginners and established players alike.

I know that even professional musicians use the metronome to practice rhythmically complex passages in music. Myself -- I just tap my right foot!

[breqwas]

I've bought a metronome this morning. $65 for a mechanical one - and I'm sure it's worth the money. The sound of all these electronic ones blows up my brain.

I wish our fiddler used that weird ticking machine as much as I do...

[pancelticpiper]

I'm a fan of practicing with the metronome, because I feel this has several advantages, many of them already brought up on this thread:
1) it forces you to play to a steady beat instead of speeding up in easy phrases and slowing down in difficult phrases, etc
2) it keeps you focused on listening to and playing with an outside source, the crucial skill in group playing
3) I learn tunes more quickly, I think because I'm forced to keep the music flowing rather than stop and mull over bits
4) it strengthens technique

However, recently I've been spending time playing along with a bootleg session tape of Paddy Keenan, and I'm finding that I'm learning the tunes far better than if I were simply practicing them with a metronome. His beat is rock-steady, but also there's that wonderful X factor that's present in his playing that is terrific to absorb.

[MarkP]

a steady beat isn´t the same as a mechanical beat.

That's the point really. Playing on the beat (every beat) isn't the same as playing well and in time. Great players of almost all dance-based genres move notes around the beats but ALWAYS with a strict sense of where that beat is, and which of those beats matter. A metronome isn;t going to teach you that essential...

It' s a personal thing but I'd say for anyone who has to learn from scratch mostly on their own, in the absence of other experienced and talented musicians (i.e. like most of us playing at home and outside the tradition), a metronome or playalong tracks are pretty indispensable. Once you have the hang of it, it's worth setting it your 'nome to half time so you aren't getting that mechanical pulse (i.e. not clicking every beat but just one or two to the bar). If it helps, use it. Chances are you'll drop it after a few months but it'll be worth it - provided that you did all the other truly essential things of listening to as much good traditional music as you can, understanding the musical phrases, and playing in the company of good players whenever possible.

The metronome is a bit redundant these days with vari-speed digital recordings. If I'm on my own, I'd learn along to a good recording and slow it down if I had to in the process. So, external reference points essential - metronome an option I'd say.

PS. I guess I'd rather listen to a good player a bit off tempo than an in-time player with no sense of the tune - but for dancing purposes, probably not

[KBR]

A couple of things about the device (I use one from time to time.) Mike Eskin wrote that his speeds up and slows down. I didn't take that as a clever quip but rather a fact. I have a mechanical Mini-Taktell which can drive me nuts.... ....it slows up a bit and seems to catch up with itself. I've sat there and listened to the thing do this without playing. Because of that, I switched an electronic model which seems rock solid but creates one of those rather awful e-tones. A trade-off...
One thing about music is that it should be intentional. By that I mean to say that nothing in your music should be left to chance, certainly not the notes you play nor the way you play them or, the speed at which you play them. For those who tend to play really fast or speed up unintentionally, a metronome can be a great help during practice. I still haven't figured out how to use one for 6/8 time though...Kevin

[Guinness]

a steady beat isn´t the same as a mechanical beat.

That's the point really. Playing on the beat (every beat) isn't the same as playing well and in time. Great players of almost all dance-based genres move notes around the beats but ALWAYS with a strict sense of where that beat is, and which of those beats matter. A metronome isn;t going to teach you that essential...

The issue at hand is tempo and emphasis of beats. Almost invariably, dance music has constant tempo. A metronome will help any musician in this regard. The emphasis (accenting) of notes in dance music can, and is often manipulated and varied on the fly. Whether this is done through dynamics, articulation, swing, syncopation, or note duration, the metronome will be less useful in this regard.

While tempo isn't everything, uneven tempo is immediately recognizable, even by the layperson, which is why the metronome is often highly recommended.

[MarkP]

I switched an electronic model which seems rock solid but creates one of those rather awful e-tones.

If you're practising near a computer try this one

I still haven't figured out how to use one for 6/8 time though

Two beats to the bar?

[pipersgrip]

The metronome helps me out tremendously. It gets me in the habit of tapping my foot.

I´m a chronical foot tapper too! I just can´t help myself!
Imagine a symphony orchestra with 100 foot tapping musicians!

It would have to be an Irish orchestra for that.