By Guest Blogger GK Eckert
One of the first things on your list of handy tools to buy — after buying your main instrument — should be a metronome. This little tool cannot be overrated. I’ve gone through many over the years, but if you truly take care of them, they can last a long time and help you tremendously.
Just a comment here about the type of metronome to buy. I have found that the old traditional metronomes, the ones you have to wind up, are not as durable as the newer ones. Myself, I quite prefer the ones that have a deeper clicking sound , as opposed to those that have a higher pinging noise. I find those can get to be very annoying after awhile. So, do keep that in mind when choosing your metronome.
One of the things I find most beginners doing, besides playing their notes choppy, is not keeping a steady tempo. When you don’t keep an even tempo or give notes their proper value, a song is unrecognizable.
I remember a fellow that came to me for lessons when I was living and teaching in Yellowknife, NWT. He played the correct notes but his timing was all over the place. He didn’t give notes their proper value and didn’t keep an even tempo. By using a metronome and guiding him to the importance of note values, I had him playing better in just a few lessons.
His mother remarked to me with almost a surprise in her voice, “we actually recognized what he was playing!”
That’s how important a metronome is. That’s the difference it can make. I don’t insist that every student get one, but I encourage it and I certainly use it in the lessons! I usually make a game of it too. It can be great fun, as you see your score increasing session by session. In the example above, I was able to make that much difference in my student’s performance just by using the metronome in his lessons. Just think what could be done by using it at home too.
Without proper note value and without even tempo, it’s simply not music.
Professional musicians know the value of the metronome. Recording musicians very often — almost always in fact — use what is commonly referred to as a ‘click track’ or just simply a “click”. That is simply a metronome that is clicking away while they play, to keep them in time; playing their music evenly and steadily.
So, if the professionals use it, don’t you think it’s highly important for a beginner! Most definitely. By using a metronome you can learn quickly to play with a beautiful even tempo, and that will make your music sound and feel better.
Gail Karen (G.K.) Eckert is a vocalist, musician, songwriter and teacher. She founded Musikhaus Studio of Creativity in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada in 1987 and continues to guide students through the crucial steps of learning to sing. She believes that anyone can learn to sing, given the proper guidance and encouragement. She also believes that singing your music your way is not only a fun past time but is also crucial to self expression and well being.
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