Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner I've fallen in love with my metronome!

"Slow practice means fast progress" was quoted by Michelle Mares, a one time student of Leon Fleisher, (and Alfred Brendel). I had the fortune to attend her master classes this past summer at the VCM piano academy.

I had never used a metronome in all my decades of playing. I finally bought one about 4 years ago but I just didn't understand how to use it. It wasn't until this past summer that its spectacular benefits finally penetrated my thick brain. This may be completely obvious to most of you but it was an eye-opener for me.

Michelle related how she had to learn a difficult, modern piece of music that she was to play as a member of an orchestra. (I just don't remember which piece). This is how she learned in it just a few days:

Find the speed at which you can play the passage without mistakes. This might mean you are sight reading and playing very, very slowly. Play it that way until you are sure you can play it without mistakes. Then crank the metronome up a notch. Repeat. Repeat. I've been doing this and I am astounded at my progress. Not only is my practice time more productive, I am learning much faster and I have a numerical measure of my progress. I've also used the metronome to conquer my tendency to speed up when I get excited.

I would never advocate using the metronome exclusively because it can cause playing to become mechanical. Of course, I then turn it off and start listening hard to add rubato and expression.

The last few pages of the Ballade are finally coming together. Fast progress = slow practice, indeed!

Hey Deborah,

I think the piece she was talking about was written by Elliot Carter = modern and difficult!

I hear you about metronome practice. I've been applying it to not just slow practice, but practicing things in small sections and using the metronome at different settings to get them up to speed faster (hands separate is key). I'm hoping to avoid the dreaded speed walls that have always plagued my progress.

Its a tough groove to get into because you give up some of the more immediate gratification of playing a piece from beginning to end, but I think the payoff makes it worth it.

Good fingering and slow practice will get you far. I use the metronome only to keep me slow while learning the piece, never at tempo.

I've actually used it to practice above tempo, and I was sure glad I did. I was practicing the first movement of Bach's D minor concerto at MM92 but cranked it up quite a bit higher for some practice sessions just to see if I could pull it off. When I practiced it with a youth orchestra, the conductor insisted on MM84. I kept asking for a faster tempo and was completely exasperated when he wouldn't budge. He told me, "the excitement of the performance will cause you to speed up." Well he was wrong. My tempo was just fine...MM92. HE was the one who who sped up - well above 100. I was thunderstruck by his tempo but, fortunately, I was prepared.

That's the truth. The progress is even more exhilarating than stumbling through a piece for the emotional and aural satisfaction.

Vid, how are you? Will you be coming to VCM "camp" again this summer? Our wine and music sessions were so much fun. I plan to. So are Joan, Carol and Dan. I hope Bruce joins us too.

I think I'm going to ask for lessons with Ed and Anna.

I've always had a problem with this. And I don't mean that I disagree.. I mean I've always had a problem putting it into practice! But you are absolutely on-par. Slow practice achieves greater results every time.

My question is: when is the wedding, and can I be best man? It's been a while since I was "in" a wedding...

I assume you are talking about my son's wedding? The date hasn't been set yet but the best men have already been decided: his brother and his best friend. We will be sure to invite you along with Martha, and Valentina and Murray and Manny and Yefim and Andras and Van and Mitsuko and Andre and others. I don't think Volodya or Arthur or Emils will be able to make it.

Oh? Her son's wedding? Not the result of the new "love affair" that Deborah is having with her metronome?

Cheers!

Oh. Looks like I missed a joke here. My one track mind is focused on my son. I get it. Love my metronome. LOL.

I missed the joke too. Your reply made complete sense to me!

i always loved my metronome.. the way it would wind and swing back and forth.. sometimes fast and sometimes slow. I spent a lot of time winding it.. it seemed so special.

it really is one of my finest possessions. go figure. it sits proimently on my decorative shelves, and has always seemed just a little off. I still adjust a little foot pad occasionally. I use my digital mostly now. have done a lot of ensemble work so perfect tempo is essential.

I always write this, try having the clicks (in 4\4) represent beats two and four instead of beats one and three.

You'd be surprised just how difficult this can be at first.

As a story, this one can't be beat.

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I'm embarrassed by how loud my metronome is. sadly, i think it's part of the reason why i don't practice much with it. Maybe i need a bell-jar for her. :p

I'm good. My piano group is putting on a recital in January in a venue where we get to perform on a Baldwin concert grand (which is in a space way too small for it!).

I hope I can make it again this year. Some members of my family are talking about a trip to Scotland so I'm not sure what my plan is yet. Of course if I do come we will have to do the wine tasting again. Since then I've become more acquainted with pianists that I was not familiar with before.

I would like to try some of the other teachers too. I've only really had lessons with a few including one with Michelle and Walter. I hope he will be there again this year.

Apparently, the late Kämmerling would have entire lessons where he would hold the metronome and have you play with it.