Music Teacher's Helper Blog

You know the number one thing I wish my students did more of (besides brining me presents, obviously)?  Practicing with a metronome.  It seems I say the phrase “you should really be practicing this with a metronome” at least ten times on any given teaching day.  One thing I have found, however, is that the more we use a metronome in lessons, the more the students seem to use a metronome at home.  Here are some ideas for incorporating a metronome into your lesson plans.

Basic Ideas

Metronome Operation

Make sure each of your students knows not only how to operate “a” metronome, but also how to operate their specific metronome.  I have my students bring their personal metronomes in and run through all the different operations: turning it on/off, adjusting volume, adjusting tempo, and adjusting any meter/subdivision options.  The more comfortable your students are with their personal metronomes, the more likely they will use them.  Consider making each of you students pass a brief “metronome operations test” in the first few lessons.

Playing With a Metronome

As the most basic idea, simply turn on the metronome and have your students play a piece to it.  For some students this will be old news, but for some this will be a brand new experience.  The more familiar your students are with playing to a metronome, the more likely they’ll practice to a metronome at home.

Speeding Up Difficult Sections

Take a difficult section of a piece and have the student play it at a slow tempo with the metronome.  Then speed the metronome up 1-2 clicks, just like you would do in your personal practicing.  Sometimes, I will actually play an example from my practice routine for the student so they can see just what practicing with a metronome looks like.

Sightreading

Use a metronome whenever you have your students sightread, even if you need to set it at 40-50 bpm (in fact, that’s usually where I set it).  Using a metronome gives students the impression they’re playing with another person or an ensemble, so they can’t slow down just because they miss a note.

Playing With a Non-Quarter Note Metronome

The most obvious metronome setting is to place the click on the quarter note.  Students can learn a lot about their time feel, however, if you reduce the number of clicks per measure.  Try setting the click on “1,” “1 and 3,” and “2 and 4″ (for 4/4 pieces) and see how your students perform.

Lesson Specific Ideas

Chart an Exercise

Play the same exercise or warm up with a metronome every lesson for a number of months, charting the student’s progress as you go.  Progress in lessons is often slow and incremental, causing students to feel like they’re not improving much.  By tracking the same exercise over a period of months, students will be able to see a dramatic improvement on a single sheet of paper.

Depending on your studio set up and your teaching style, you could also chart the same exercise for every student and post their metronome markings publicly.  This can foster a sense of competition and spur some students to practice more.  It also gives your more successful students a sense of pride, as they can see they’re at the top of your studio.

Clapping With a Metronome

With beginning students, the idea of playing to a metronome can be overwhelming.  To get them familiar with the idea, I’ll have them clap to a metronome instead.  For some students, this comes very naturally.  For students who don’t immediately grasp the idea, I’ll have them clap every 4 clicks instead of every click.  Then we move to every 3 clicks, then every 2 clicks, and finally 1 clap per click.  This allows the student to hear subdivisions between the claps (or beats).  We then talk about how they have to hear these subdivisions in their mind while clapping with every click.  You can also try variations where the student claps on “1 and 2,” “1 and 4,” etc.

Drum Set Specific Ideas

Same Groove, Drastically Different Tempos

When playing a new groove (or any groove, come to think of it), most of my students instinctively hover around the 80-100 bpm range.  Often, I’ll use a metronome to break them of this habit.  I have them start out playing a groove of their choosing at a tempo of their choosing.  Then I’ll cut the tempo in half and have them play the exact same groove.  Then I’ll double the original tempo and have them play the exact same groove again.  This gives the student a feeling of what it’s like to play the same thing at, say 40, 80, and 160 bpm.

Switching Places

Because of the physical size of my studio and its proximity to other studios, I can not put the metronome through an amp or pa.  In order to keep the drum set from completely drowning out the metronome, I’ll usually play quarter notes on a cowbell or jam block to help the student hear the time.  Occasionally, I switch places with the student.  I play a groove on the drum set and have the student pound out the quarter notes.  My students can then focus entirely on developing solid time with worrying about all the coordination issues that go along with playing drum set.  Quite a few students have had eye opening experiences due to this teaching technique. (“Wow, my time really needs to be solid,” or more often, “Wow, I really need to improve my ability to play in time”)

Your Turn

How do you use a metronome in your lessons?  Leave your answers in the comments below.