#24 6 Fun Ways to Use Your Metronome
Updated: Jul 12
By Christy | The Practicing Pro
Check out the third and last article in the metronome blog series!.
8 Reasons Why Your Metronome is Your Friend
What are My Favorite Metronomes and Why I Like Them
and now
6 Fun Ways to Use Your Metronome!
1)
My favorite way to use my metronome is to make something faster effortlessly and quickly!
A metronome makes playing faster and faster PERFECTLY, and not a task at all but fun!
I use a metronome chart, or write the numbers and check them off along the top of my sheet music. (Find the metronome PDF downloads below).
Metronome Practicing Chart
Black/White Metronome Chart - FREE pdf download
Colored Metronome Chart - FREE pdf downloadLet’s say you are learning a study and play it now at 68 but want it to be 85 for your final tempo. GREAT! Print out a metronome chart and write on the very top 68 then one notch (or two) at a time write DOWN (lower is faster) numbers all the way to your goal of 85 BPM.
Now, three times is practicing, so FIRST make sure that you can play a section three times at the slowest metronome mark perfectly, with no errors at all.
NOTE: to learn the fastest -
Don’t play the whole thing but break it into smaller sections!!!!!
Play it three times, then write on your chart the next number. Move up your metronome and play it three more times...keep going until you get to your goal.
If you mess up, go back a tic and hang out there 3-6 more times. It just means you need more repetitions there and 3 isn’t enough, that’s all.
Easy - fun!
Moving just one notch or one click or one digital number won’t FEEL at all faster so you are repeating it many times without even feeling it getting faster - but it is!!! Cool right?
2)
Another fun way is to play a piece with a heavy beat 1 and a lighter beat for the rest of the bar. Now for FUN make the heavy beat the beat 4, try the beat 2 or the beat 3! Wow! That’s so fun and if it’s a running piece or passage, like perpetual motion is extra fun to add accents on different beats.
3)
Play with subdivisions - set the timer twice as fast as the BPM It will click on “1 ‘and’ 2 ‘and’ 3 ‘and’ 4 ‘and’ ”, now out the heavy beat on the AND! Play like that and enjoy the feeling of accenting more on the AND beat.
4)
Try making the metronome click for every 2 beats. So make a 4/4 into a 2/4. Then every beat one only. So one beat per measure. Can you keep steady? It’s tricky! Now every TWO measures!!!! Woah! That’s hard!
5)
Play LONG smooth bow games with the metronome. Can you do a scale with 4 beats per note? 6? 8? 10? 12? 16? 20? Can you keep a beautiful even tone?
6)
Play with the crazy metronome app
“MetraGnome” - the Lite version is free.
He is a little CRAZY! So have some fun.
So there it is, 6 of my favorite things to do with a metronome for fun! If you haven’t already, check out the first two blogs in this metronome series,
8 Ways Your Metronome is Your Friend!
AND
What Are My Favorite Things About My Metronome?
Try some of these games with your metronome and take a picture with your chart and metronome when you are done! I would love it if you would send me your photo! It always makes me so happy to see how hard you're working!
hodderchristy@gmail.com
Check out my Free PDF download Checklist for a Successful Music Practice for teachers and practicing parents.
Your easy checklist for successful home music practices from Christy, the practicing pro. Whether you are a new or seasoned practice parent or music teacher, this checklist will help you organize before, during, and after practices for effective and fun practices.
INVITATION from Christy Hodder:
DIGITAL COURSE from the Practicing Pro Academy
Speaking of amazing practices, let me tell you all about the digital course, the Practicing Pro Academy. This is for the serious practicing parents and music teachers and is an at-your-own-pace, step-by-step, online course to bring you more effective, positive, and fun home music practices. Registrants receive a special package in the mail from me, and I am with you in person with Q&As to answer all your questions.
Learn more about PPA and join the waitlist HERE for the next Practicing Pro Academy course. It's only offered once a year so you don't want to miss it. The registration will only open for a few weeks and I'll let everyone on the waitlist know immediately so that you can grab one of the spots.
LIKE, FOLLOW, and SHARE on Instagram and/or Facebook to be inspired and join the positive practicing music community.
Facebook: Practicing Pro
Instagram: @practicingpro