Metronomes

For some reason I have a REALLY hard time playing to metronomes. I know that they are an essential part of practice but for some reason I honestly just can't play with them clicking away. Would you consider this a problem in my future of piano playing? I don't know if it is fixable in any way or even what the reason for it is but if you have any ideas please tell me.

I know what you mean! Metronomes kinda drive me nuts... that ticktickticktickticktick... I have one in my e-piano and you cant turn down the volume of it... so its a really really loud tickingsound that drives me insane...

I can't play with a metronome either. So, as I try to keep the beat with the metronome, I forget what the heck I'm supposed to be doing on piano and screw up!

OK, you guys have the same exact problem as me. That is exactly what happens when I try to play with a metronome. Oh well, I guess we will just have to get along with this problem.

yeah, and just hope that our sense of rythm isnt completely messed up enough to go without!!! =)

I think it is not a good idea to learn piano playing with a metronome. My teacher says the same. She says you should count (e.g. one-two-one-two for only quarter notes and 4/2 time signature or one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and-one... if there are 8th notes and 4/4). I can't do this either, only very slow. For faster playing I have to feel the rythm.

frank - That makes sense. I am in my school orchestra and we count out the rhythms but as a last resort the dreaded metronome is turned on. When I am playing the piano though I kind of just feel for the rhythm. This probably results in me getting the rhythm wrong but I don't know what else I can do.

aendym - that is so true! haha, i guess we can only hope though. let us hope that our hope isn't in vain.

Sometimes I wish I could use a metronome. Like, when learning new pieces they say it's good to play through slowly to make the learning process easier. Often, though, I start slowly, then without realizing it begin to increase speed up to the speed I know the song in (like the way I've heard it played on You Tube for instance).

So for me it is very difficult to play a consistent under-speed tempo since it's not how I know the song in my head.

My teacher says I should avoid getting used to it and should just play. She also teaches me small tricks and things that are not written into the sheet music. If I would want to play with a metronome I couldn't. The way she teaches me, pretty much nearly all music (even with the short exercise tunes I play!) is not mathematical like a metronome but sometimes I play a note a little longer or shorter or something, like when there's a break (is it called a break?), end of phrase or end of tune etc.

I realized the way she teaches me to play I just can't use it. Sometimes I start it ofc if I need to get something sorted, or if I want to find a certain tempo. Or to see what's the fastest I can do in an etude or scales etc. But normally I just can't follow it because I don't play that... exact... she always tells me that music is more than what is written in the sheet music and I think she's right.

Not to say one can't use it, I'm probably not best to hold a specific tempo on my own, just saying there's different aspects to using it, good or bad (or maybe sometimes rpeference).

Thanks for the post endre. You brought up a lot of really good points in there, specifically about how your teacher tells you that music is more than what is written on the sheet music. I believe that to be true in my own playing. I will a lot of the time use a slightly different dynamic or tempo then is supposed to be played in order to give my piece some uniqueness and emotion. Obviously I still stick mostly to the music but those slight changes can make a huge difference in the emotion radiated from your playing. Overall I agree with your statement that the preciseness of the metronome can be good or bad. It doesn't matter for me either way though as I can't play with one anyway.

for really unknown song play it 50bps
for a little know the not play it 80bps
for memorized key play it 100-120bps
confuse with tig tag tig tag....used your big toe i prefer left feet
if in beginner its hard to used feeling usully not constant i played the note so used tht trick
if you know the song its will no problem..how about if not? only sheet music?
maybe can help ^^