Q&A for How to Use a Metronome

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How do you keep time with a metronome?

Michael Noble, PhD
Professional Pianist
Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Michael Noble, PhD

Professional Pianist

Expert Answer

You need to play notes on the same beat as the metronome, either quarters, eights, sixteenths, etc.

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Does a metronome help with rhythm?

Michael Noble, PhD
Professional Pianist
Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Michael Noble, PhD

Professional Pianist

Expert Answer

Generally, yes. One should be sure to play on the beats of the metronome, however.

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Question

What is a metronome and how does it work?

Michael Noble, PhD
Professional Pianist
Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Michael Noble, PhD

Professional Pianist

Expert Answer

A metronome is a device that helps one keep time by playing a given beat at the same time as the device makes a sound.

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Question

How do you set up a metronome?

Michael Noble, PhD
Professional Pianist
Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Michael Noble, PhD

Professional Pianist

Expert Answer

You can buy a physical metronome or purchase one in the App Store on your smartphone. There are also free metronome apps that can be downloaded.

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Question

How do I download a metronome app?

Michael Noble, PhD
Professional Pianist
Michael Noble is a professional concert pianist who received his PhD in Piano Performance from the Yale School of Music. He is a previous contemporary music fellow of the Belgian American Educational Foundation and has performed at Carnegie Hall and at other venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

Michael Noble, PhD

Professional Pianist

Expert Answer

Go to the App or Play Store and type in "metronome." You will get a plethora of options to download. Some are free while others are not. If you are going to purchase one, read the reviews online before doing so to make sure that it is right for you.

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Question

What is q=80 or h=63 found on some sheet music?

Jelke de Jong

Community Answer

I would think that the Q stands for quarter note, and the H stands for half note. Q = 80 would mean that when you put a metronome on at 80 bpm the clicks you hear are the quarter notes.

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Question

Do you play one note per metronome beat?

Community Answer

It depends on how fast the part is. If you play one note per beat, that means every note you play is a quarter note. If you play two notes per beat, that means you are playing eighth notes. There is no wrong way.

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Question

Does a metronome need routine care or service?

Community Answer

If you are using a wind-up metronome, you just need to wind it so it keeps running. If you are using a battery-operated metronome, you need to regularly replace the batteries.

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How do I know what the BPM is for 4/4 time?

Community Answer

4/4 time can have absolutely any BPM, just like all the other times. See if the BPM is written down somewhere in your music.

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Question

What setting should I use for the metronome when I put it away?

Community Answer

If by 'putting it away', you mean that you stop using it, you should probably turn it off.

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Question

How do I set a metronome to 6/8 time?

Community Answer

Depending on what kind of metronome you have (what digital settings it has), you may or may not be able to set the metronome to 6/8 time specifically. Luckily, it's often not necessary to set a metronome to one specific time signature. All 6/8 means is 6 eighth notes each measure, so all you have to do is set the metronome to the speed you want your eighth notes to be, and count six for each measure. Another way of playing 6/8 time is to break the measure up into two groups of 3 eighth notes, meaning two dotted quarter notes. In that case, you would set your metronome to the speed you want your dotted quarter notes, and count 2 for each measure. This is called counting in 6 or counting in 2.

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Question

How do I set my tempo on a metronome?

Community Answer

On a mechanical metronome, slide the weight up and down. On an electronic one, press the buttons that indicate tempo change. And on a quartz one, just turn the wheel!

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