How to improve your time: a metronome survival Guide
You probably have a metronome sitting in your practice room right now. Or maybe you have one of those fancy apps on your phone that has a million features. But are you actually getting the most out of your metronome? Do you really know how to use it?
If your metronome practice looks anything like this...
Turn metronome on
Set tempo
Attempt to play with the click
Turn metronome off
Consider throwing metronome out the window
...it might be time for a metronome reboot. There are many more ways to use a metronome than just having it click out 4/4 quarter notes.
Let’s dig into 4 ways you can level up your metronome use, improve your sense of time, and survive your next metronome practice session.
Slow Practice
Topping the list of most effective metronome skills, is slow practice. Slow practice is the key to fast tracking your improvement, but it requires a little patience. It’s not just for musicians either. Martial artists, professional golfers, and athletes of all kinds all recognize the benefits of slow practice.
What it is:
a speed where you can easily process and evaluate the all of the relevant information while maintaining a calm mind
maintaining an awareness of what you are doing and why you are doing it is critical for this type of practice to be effective
When to use it:
when learning new pieces
working fast passages that require fine motor skills
focusing on small details like dynamics or articulation
How to use it:
Choose a short, technical excerpt
Assign the pulse to the shortest note value in the excerpt (8th, 16th, 32nd, etc.)
Set your metronome to 60bpm
Work the passage with the shortest value getting the click
Repeat this a few times, then switch to 16ths getting the beat
Then 8ths, and finally back to quarter notes
It’s like switching the lens on a microscope. You’re shifting your perspective on where the pulse is. Wind players and vocal musicians—take breaths wherever you need to at this tempo.
One warning about the mechanics of slow practice: be sure to maintain the same efficient motions that are required to properly produce a tone on your instrument. Students often slow everything down (bow speed, articulations, etc.) during slow practice, and ingrain bad habits that hinder them when they return to performance tempos. For example, a brass player’s tongue needs to remain quick and efficient even when practicing at a slow tempo. A pianist’s fingers need to strike the keys in the same manner regardless of the tempo.
The Dotted Rhythm Game
When I need to tackle an intricate or chromatic technical passage, the Dotted Rhythm Game is my go-to exercise. What it is:
Replacing straight 8ths or 16ths patterns with dotted rhythms
Dotted patterns give us a second to process what is coming next in a dicult passage, while still maintaining a connected musical line
When to use it:
When learning difficult scalar passages that keep a steady tempo
Working passages with awkward intervals or leaps
How to use it:
Use with passages that have extended runs or long repeated patterns
Set your metronome to 60bpm
Replace straight 8ths or 16th with dotted or swing rhythms
Alternate long/short or short/long
Swap this around in various settings
As you feel more confident, notch your metronome up a few clicks
Be sure to connect the dotted rhythms in a legato style. Don’t clip any of the notes.
The point is to create a smooth and connected technique that you can retain when you go back to the printed rhythms at performance tempo.
Check out this great explanation from Allen Mathews at “Classical Guitar Shed” to learn more about this technique. (Skip to 1:24)
Time Bar Breaks
It’s easy to play in time when there is a helpful click on every measure. But what happens when the metronome is shut off or the beat suddenly drops out? Is your inner pulse reliable? Practicing with Time Bar Breaks will show you exactly where you rush or drag.
What it is:
A programmable metronome, drum machine app or sequencer that sets up a beat pattern that drops in and out at various places
I like to use two different iPhone apps for this–“Tonal Energy” (TE Tuner) and “Drum Beats+”
When to use it:
Any steady tempo passage that you tend to rush or drag
When practicing any type of pattern or improvisation over a steady beat
How to use it: Tonal Energy Tuner
Open the app and go to the metronome function
Select a meter of 8/4
Set the tempo to a medium practice tempo (90ish)
Set the beats to 4 on/4 off by tapping the rectangles
Let the pattern cycle a few times, then begin your excerpt
Keep playing through the four beats of silence
Don’t cheat by looking at the flashing lights. Put the phone out of view.
See how close you are to landing the downbeat when the clicks come back in. Were you ahead? Behind? Right on the beat?
Repeat this exercise with a variety of passages and practice tempos
Extend the amount of silence by 4 or 8 beats for an added challenge
How to use it: Drum Beats+
Open the app and scroll down to Timing—Bar Breaks
Start with “Bar Break Straight 2&2”
Set a medium practice tempo for your excerpt (90ish)
Let the pattern cycle a few times, then begin your excerpt
Keep playing through the four beats of silence
See how close you are to landing the downbeat when the clicks come back in. Were you ahead? Behind? Right on the beat?
Repeat this exercise with a variety of passages and practice tempos
*This type of metronome practice doesn’t work well for music with a lot of time changes or rubato, so keep that in mind when choosing your excerpt.
Phasing Practice
This is an advanced technique for establishing rhythmic stability and sharpening your concentration skills.
What it is:
Systematically shifting the downbeat of a passage over by one 8th or 16th at a time, until you cycle all the way back to the first downbeat
This technique of shifting the beats over as you practice is called phasing
When to use it:
When practicing scales, or scalar passages
How to use it:
Isolate a short technical passage
Set a very slow practice tempo
Start a passage on the downbeat as you normally would
Then, mentally shift the downbeat over to the second 16th, then the 3rd, 4th, etc.
For example, 1–e–&–a–2–e–&–a, shifts to starting the passage on the 2nd 16th or “e”. That means you would play the passage as e––&––a––1––e––&––a––2, etc.
This drill allows you to experience the pulse of the passage in a lot of new ways.
A great example of this technique is minimalist composer Steve Reich’s piece, “Clapping Music”. Here’s are links to the sheet music and a great performance:
Challenge: See if you and a practice buddy can clap through this piece without getting lost
The Takeaway
This list of metronome tools is by no means complete. Be creative when you approach learning how to play in time, and remember that the ultimate goal is to play musically and communicate something to your audience.
Bonus: Make a Play-Along Recording
One quick bonus. A great way to put all of this into practice is by making play-along recordings for your excerpts. I’ll go deeper into this topic another time, but having a stable, in tune/in time practice track to practice with is a fantastic tool.
What it is:
A supportive recording that you’ve made that is in time, in tune, and musical
Some pattern or section part that acts like training wheels for your excerpts
Doesn’t have to be from the actual piece—can just be you clapping and singing along as your teacher might in you private lessons
When to use it:
Any time you want to make your metronome practice fun and engaging
How to use it:
Find a section part that supports your excerpt
Set a metronome and drone
Give yourself a verbal count in (i.e. “one, two, ready, play”)
Record yourself playing, singing or clapping the part
Record over and over until you are satisfied with the quality
Switch back to the original part, and play along with your new recording
Repeat this and record yourself until you feel good about your time
This technique is incredibly effective. I’ve made play-alongs for almost all of orchestral excerpts—it’s a great way to make metronome practice fun!
