Is it necessary to use a metronome?

Question

My piano teacher is gay and he tries to correct EVERYBODY on every small thing.

I can stay on beat with no metronome, with just practice, I can get used to it. But today, he made me play Fur Elise (Which I nailed FLAWLESSLY) while tapping my foot to stay on beat. I can't do it both, so I messed up. Does it matter if I use a metronome or not? I hope not, because I don't need it. :D

Answer 1

One of the most useful tools to use when you are practising is the Metronome. If you weren't sure, they are the old pendulous looking thing that when tick- tick-tick on your music teachers desk. Nowadays they are small electronic boxes, that are very accurate and some have fancy features like accented beats and subdivisions of the beat. I personally recommend the Korg MA-30 metronome, it has many features, is not expensive and a good build quality.







How and why to use a metronome



Metronomes help you play in time. This is probably the most important aspect of playing guitar so it is one that you should try to get right at the start. A good way to start getting used to working with one is to set the beat to about 50 Bpm and strumming some chords evenly with a downstrum on every click. Then try playing the up in-between the beats as well, so that you strum down on the click and up evenly inbetween. See the beginners lessons on strumming.



Lessons that use the metronome will explain how to use it for that particular technique.



Try to set it and play some songs along to it. Try to feel the groove, feel at one with the beat. Sounds silly, but it is really that. Try to feel the beat and be with it, inside it. If you have a drum machine or play along CD's then they are just as helpful, but you can't speed up CDs like you can a metronome.

Answer 2

First of all, your piano teacher is SUPPOSED to correct people on every small detail so he can help you improve. If you don't like it, you should consider taking music slightly less seriously. And if your teacher is telling you that you need it then you probably do. Why else would he tell you to? (I don't know how serious of a musician you are, but I've heard horror stories of people who can't keep a rhythm because they never practiced with a metronome because no one told them to and they go off to major in music and the first thing their teacher tells them to do is take a metronome and just play open notes for hours a day to become better at rhythm. You DO NOT want to become these people.)



Yes, you need to use a metronome. Even the most experienced musicians play with metronomes. My violin teacher does. My coach for my string quartet (who is an AMAZINGLY accomplished cellist. She's in the Oregon Symphony) does. The conductor of the pit orchestra insists that we practice with metronomes. Everyone does and it helps. You may THINK you're playing it correctly but you really aren't because nothing (as in, your metronome) is telling you otherwise.



@Robert F.: Now where did you hear that? Yes, you will. They don't perform with a metronome but they all practice with them.

Answer 3

a metronome is a crucial part of developing upper level skills. If you are still in the intermediate stage than you can practice with the band. Once you decide that you want to develop some professional skills than you should work with a metronome. The metronome is more for developing your personal skills in picking and fingering and learning to develop accuracy.

Answer 4

First of all, it's a little pet peeve of mine when people use gay as an insult like that, so just a little personal note.



I find it very useful to use a metronome when I practice, and our high school band REALLY needs it (especially the percussion section). We usually rehearse with a metronome and it helps a lot. I would recommend using one.

Answer 5

The metronome is your conductor. It tells you when to speed up or slow down in a piece. Many people don't like using them, but they are necessary to get used to the idea of following someone else instead of yourself.

Answer 6

If you believe that you are sufficiently proficient enough to keep time throughout the gamut of tempos found in musical scores, by all means stop using the metronome. It is strictly a training aid and you will never see a concert pianist with a metronome on the piano.

Answer 7

Yes, you do.



No matter how perfect you may think your foot keeps time, there will always be that tiny fraction of time in which your foot misses a very small beat (whether it's a 32nd note or a 64th note). No one can stay in beat with the perfect rythm, even if they've practiced it for 20 years.

Answer 8

If you are playing solo, your tempo will vary slightly. Good practice is to record yourself to a muted click track, then play it back with the clicks on and see where and how much you drift.

Answer 9

What does your teacher's sexual preference have to do with correcting people? I think your homophobia is showing.