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Metronomes can help or hurt depending on how they are used.
As a computer geek and musician I am fascinated with new technology and I enjoy how tuners, metronomes and recording devices get smaller and smarter with every passing year. What would have years ago taken a suitcase to carry around, now easily fits into a utility compartment within my instrument case.
That being said, I am amazed at serious students that do not habitually use these crucial tools. Some students depend on teachers to point every mistake in tone, rhythm and pitch and do not take serious measures to correct their errors. From the student’s perspective, an over-dependency on a teacher to correct simple problems wastes precious time. Wasting time can doom a student to failure. From the teacher’s perspective, pointing out every single mistake can (over time) cripple a student’s spirit and weaken the teacher’s effectiveness as a teacher and motivator.
Students that do not use metronomes, tuners, and recorders are in danger of losing the edge needed to stay ahead in today’s competitive market. A wise student balances these tools in tandem to “teach themselves” – to stay aware, alert and focused while practicing.
This method falls in line with an ancient proverb that I quote often: “physician, heal thyself.” The tuner, metronome and recording device are key to this method; the path of self-discovery and self-healing. A teacher can guide the student along the way, but cannot force a student to take the path; it is to be discovered alone, over time, and in the practice room.
It should be noted that these wonderful technological aids can do great harm as well as great good if used recklessly. This series attempts to offer some practical tips to help.
The Metronome
When I occasionally visit a university campus for one reason or another, I like to wander the halls, eavesdrop on students practicing and even use the practice facilities. I often hear students diligently using metronomes – many times incorrectly. Too many students blindly set their tempi at or near the final performance speeds in an attempt to force themselves into overcoming a technical difficulty in the shortest time possible. This “bull in a china shop” approach usually does not have lasting effects – all that is accomplished is either reinforcement of a bad habit, mental frustration or even physical injury.
Solid, precise rhythm is required for all styles and types of playing: solo and ensemble; classical and popular; commercial and liturgical. In my experience as an audition panelist, about 90% of candidates are eliminated due to weak or inaccurate rhythm.
“Cramming” (as it is called when students “cram” their studying into one session the night before a test) works in the short term, but can produce unwanted side-effects like: bad physical form (embouchure, posture, technique, etc); or worse, mental fear and anxiety. “Muscle-memory” is not accomplished overnight. “Rome was not built in a day,” as another old saying goes. A golf pro does not improve his/her swing in a few days or weeks.
Remember when you began playing the French horn how awkward it felt to even hold the instrument? When I began, my hand could barely reach from the pinky hook to the thumb hook. I had to rest the bell on the chair and had to crane my neck to reach the mouthpiece. Today however, the instrument feels like a natural extension of my arm.
Time was needed to grow into the instrument.
So, when working out a technical passage with the metronome, a long-term plan for success is the logical approach. With a long-term plan, a new habit might at first feel uncomfortable, but in time it will feel very more natural and relaxed – just like when you first learned to hold the instrument as a beginner.
- Isolate the problem to its root. Is it a finger-related problem? Is it an air flow problem? Or is it something more fundamental that indicates a general flaw in my technique? Sometimes this will involve isolating one measure or a half-measure, or even one or two notes.
- The key to self-improvement is daily repetition. Develop a repetitive pattern that centers on the problem itself. Develop an exercise based on the passage with different transpositions, dynamics and articulations. As an example, see the exercise called “Till the Cows Come Home.” [Posted in the PDF library]. This is my exercise for getting the opening horn call of Richard Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel just right.
- Ask yourself – at what tempo can I perform this exercise “perfectly?” This tempo might be half the final goal or even slower. Insist on a workable tempo where you can execute the pattern with ease at least five times in a row. Insist on good form.
- Ask yourself – how many days, weeks or months will it take me to work up to the final tempo? Make a plan and set a goal to have the exercise up-to-tempo at least two weeks before you need to perform it in public. Make your exercise a part of your daily routine.
- Incrementally increase the tempo after succeeding in a number of perfect repetitions. At the point that you cannot play the passage perfectly any more, you are done for the day. Avoid harsh judgments and try again tomorrow. In time you will succeed. Enjoy the journey.
- Track your progress in writing. Create a detailed chart or record with daily or weekly targets. Evaluate your progress and adjust your plan as needed.
In short:
- be aware of the problem,
- create a logical plan to correct it over time,
- stay positive,
- and fine-tune your plan as you progress.
