Many students feel a great deal of angst when the word metronome is mentioned. Students often find it more difficult to play with a metronome than to play without it, so why bother? Well, the truth is that students who keep good time have little difficulty playing with a metronome, and those who do not keep good time have a lot of difficulty playing with a metronome. So the irony is that the students who most dislike playing with a metronome are the ones who most need to use one. In this post, I will address the top three reasons to practice with a metronome, as well as some pointers on how to practice effectively with a metronome.
1. Consistent Time This is the obvious, but we are truly unaware of our fluctuations in tempo. We tend to slow down in sections that are more difficult or rhythmically dense, and we tend to speed up in sections that are easier or rhythmically sparse. This is normal, but we need the metronome to keep us honest. It is particularly challenging to maintain consistent tempos just before and during transitions, as we anticipate page turns, key changes, etc. 2. Locking in Tempos As we become more familiar and comfortable with the music, we gradually pick up speed. That is a good thing until we reach our target tempo, but unfortunately we sometimes exceed the target tempo, and we lose part of the character of the piece by rushing through it. This has to do with muscle memory. Our muscles actually anticipate the next move, so if we rehearse passages too quickly, it is difficult to hold back the tempo. If we rehearse them too slowly, our hands are not yet ready for the next beat. This is a particular challenge when you rehearse a piece over a long period of time, such as preparing for a recital or concert. It is also problematic if you are accompanying someone, or playing with other musicians where there is a conductor setting the tempo. 3. Playing with Others If you cannot play with a metronome, then you cannot play with an ensemble. Pianists are notorious for being unable to play with a group, and drummers and guitar players are often frustrated by a pianist who cannot settle into a groove. Pianists are so accustomed to playing alone and setting their own tempos that when they play with others, they expect everyone else to follow them. This is an unrealistic expectation. Rhythm players cannot play consistent, even patterns with a fluctuating tempo. Everyone can settle into a groove if the tempo is consistent, but if the tempo is all over the place, everyone will continue to struggle to stay together. How to practice with a metronome
When we rehearse with a metronome, the responsibility for internally maintaining tempo is removed, so you can depend on the metronome for time and focus your efforts on landing everything in the right place. Ironically, there is freedom in this, as your body settles in to the tempo, and your muscles and fingers memorize the tempo.
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This question is frequently asked by piano students, and even parents will sometimes say that they were required to learn them, but they never used them for anything, so they didn't see the point in learning them. In fact, there are many piano teachers who have given up on teaching scales, or perhaps they never learned them either. I had been taking piano lessons for about seven years before I was ever required to learn scales and chords. I found them difficult to learn at that stage, but I soon learned that scales are always an audition requirement for piano competitions, music schools, colleges, and symphony orchestras. I was very excited to start learning about chords, though, because I found them to be the missing link that had been holding me back in my understanding of music theory and accompaniment. Scales and chords really are essential to learning and understanding music theory, and they also have great benefits in the development of good technique and fingering.
Benefits of learning to play scales:
Benefits of learning about chords:
Students who have a good understanding of scales and chords have a greater understanding of how music is put together and how it works, so they have a greater capacity to read, learn, play, and memorize music. It really is best to learn them early and well for the greatest benefit to the musician. |
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