Metronome Trick No. 1
Sam Baron, grand old man of the flute and one of my teachers, used to say that working with a metronome was like taking a vitamin—you need to do it each day. OK, maybe he actually said that vitamin thing about playing Bach, but I think it applies to metronome work, too.
The thing is, no one (and I mean NO ONE) has a truly perfect sense of time. Except maybe Jason Marsalis, but he probably practices with a metronome too! So, if you are not Jason Marsalis, if you are one of the rest of us, please continue reading.
Metronome Trick No. 1, along with the practice notebook, is one of the most powerful practice techniques I have ever found. If you don’t read any more of this blog ever, if all you do is adopt the practice notebook and this trick, you will definitely improve your practicing, and therefore, your playing.
So what is it, after all this buildup? It’s pretty simple.
- Choose a small section to work on.
- Choose a metronome speed that is slow enough that you can play it exactly how you want to EVERY TIME at that tempo.
- Repeat the passage 4 to 7 times at that tempo. (note: professionals—4 times will usually be enough, beginners will need more)
- Now set the metronome two clicks faster than your original tempo.
- Repeat the passage 4 to 7 times at the new tempo.
- Set the metronome to the tempo one click down from this faster tempo.
- Repeat the passage 4 to 7 times at the new tempo.
- Continue on, setting the metronome up two, then down one, repeating the passage the full 4 to 7 times at each level, until you get to a tempo that is two clicks faster than the target performance tempo.
What’s it for? This trick is the most efficient way to learn a passage of music and get it up to performance tempo.
And, if you were following along, you will note that this method will yield A LOT of repetition of your passage. That’s one of the reasons it works. Here are some of the others:
Unlike the old stand-by of increasing the tempo one click at a time until you reach performance tempo, this technique has you building a very strong foundation for that eventual fast tempo. When you just increase steadily, and never decrease, you are essentially building yourself out on a limb. Eventually, you have nothing below you. Up two down one is like building straight up on your strong foundation.
Another reason this technique is so effective is that it gives you a chance (in the down one) to integrate what you learned when playing it up two. The pressure is off, you’re at a slower tempo, and you can relax and play, instead of trying like you did at up two.
Yes, it does take time to do that many repetitions. Give it a try anyway! I assure you, when you use this trick, in conjunction with the other principles and techniques we’ll cover here, you will agree it is the most efficient way to learn a difficult passage. None of your time on this technique will be wasted.
When you’re in performance, you want to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you can play that passage every time. Metronome Trick No. 1 will help give you that confidence.
[NOTE: You will need an old school metronome for this. Trust me when I say that the tempo levels on a non-digital metronome are perfect for this technique…there will be more info in a later article on The Old School Metronome and The Human Scale. In the meantime, for those of you with nifty new-fangled digital metronomes, here is a clip-n-save list of ye olde metronome markings: ye-olde-met-markings1]
So, let’s say you want to bring a passage from quarter equals 80 up to quarter equals 100. Here’s the order of metronome markings you would use, always mindfully and successfully playing the passage 4 to 7 times at each separate tempo:
- 80
- up to 88
- down to 84
- 92
- back to 88
- 96
- 92
- 100
- 96
- 104
- 100
- 108
- you’ve got it!
[Note: the awesome photo above is from http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcgladdery/2355605963/ ]
[...] practiced it using Metronome Trick No. 1, and at each tempo level repeated the loop at least 4 [...]
[...] I work on the passage using Metronome Trick No. 1, and at every tempo level I do the [...]
While I agree this is a strong foundational method for learning fast passages, for me, it’s not the *quickest* way. I have another, if you are interested, I’ll elaborate.
One problem I have with this method using the old-school metronomes is that two metronome clicks are usually too many (too fast too soon) – I think I’ll make another scheme using a digital one.
Thanks for sharing this!
Let me know what you end up working out and how you like it…and i’m intrigued to hear your other fast passage technique…care to share it here?
Sure, although I’m not sure to whom I should credit this idea. It’s one of those that I picked up on the way, then it got mixed up with my own ideas and those of others – if I’d kept a better practice notebook I could be more clear!
I do start by looking at a passage slowly, to get familiar with it and see if there are possibilities for alternate fingerings, etc.
Then when I want to get up to speed:
Start at the end, and take as large or small a chunk that you *can* play at tempo, even if it’s only 3 to 5 notes. Then do your repetition work – and/or mix with different rhythms.
Work backwards, taking the previous chunk – but keep the last note of your new chunk the same as the first of the previous. Keep going back in chunks until you reach the beginning. The reason I work backwards: if I feel confident, then I can keep going past my small chunk, even to the end if possible. It’s usually the notes at the end of a passage that mess you up. Not necessarily because they may be harder, but because your brain might be lagging behind. So I think the end notes benefit from this extra repetition.
Then, you set the metronome slower to a speed where you can play the whole passage correctly.
1) play it as written
2) repeat up to 4-5 times using different rhythms (I have my own set, but you can make up your own – any will do)
3) play it again as written but faster
The next day or next practice session, go through the passage slowly, then attempt larger chunks at tempo (still working backwards), then repeat the above 3 steps, you’ll find you can do it faster.
I know this seems like a lot of steps – but I find to get things really up to tempo fast, it really helps.
I’ve been thinking about a digital version of the metronome markings for two steps up and one step down. I don’t think I can come up with a fixed and fast rule – it will depend on the difficulty of the piece, whether I inch my way up or go at leaps and bounds.
Hope all this makes sense!
[...] practicing playing. I don’t know any good tricks for speaking like I do for playing (such as Metronome Trick No 1), so the only thing I could think of to try was to slow it [...]
[...] On April 15th, 2009 at 4:05 am Helen Says:While I agree this is a strong foundational method for learning fast passages, for me, it’s not the *quickest* way. I have another, if you are interested, I’ll elaborate. [...]
Hello, I just read your Metronome No. 1 method and I think it’s a marvelous Idea! I saw your suggestions with the tempo markings and I’d like to direct you to this site:
http://www.metronomeonline.com/
It has the exact(or at least almost exact) tempo markings you recommended
I haven’t seen all of your site, so I’m not sure if you already have it; but if so, here you go again!
That looks like a cool site, and very useful. I also like how you can change the color of the metronome. Thanks for the tip!
I really like this +2 -1 method. It is helping me get to speeds I didn’t realize I could. Usually, whith the typical add a couple notches that I was previously using, I would have quit before reaching the higher tempos. As I get into the higher speeds and there is more gap between markings, I feel like it is a bit of a reward to be able to go back down a notch. It makes me keep pushing.
Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks.
I guess you are classical players?
Well, i am a bassplayer and I mostly play funk, rock and jazz music and a pianist I used to work with once gave me a wonderfull excersise. The trick is to go one notch up and then play half speed BUT respect the value of the notes of the original tempo.
let’s say the piece is in quarter notes. you need to play it at 100. you would need to play a note on each beat Play that note every 2 beats and rest a beat. (Leave the metronome on 100!)
It would be :
Quarter note/rest/quarter note/rest/quarter note/rest/quarter note/rest.
That way you can really relax and be very councious of placing each note and also really focus on expression. When this is fully adapted play it in original tempo and tie it togheter:
Quarter note/Quarter note/Quarter note/Quarter note.
It’s like putting the piece appart note by note and then put it back togheter. Try it! You’ll be suprised!
I also study bach regularly, for technique and the understanding of linear harmony.
You could mix the previous with the 2 notch up/one notch down excersise. I’m gonna try it
Really interesting idea–sounds like a good way to get young players used to using the metronome, as well.
Zara,
I was taught this exact same technique years ago and it is the same technique I have always used. It’s a great way to get to your target goal much faster. Too many musicians think the faster they practice the faster they will learn the exercise – but it’s just not true.
And I am ALL for using the old tempo markings. So many people these days just go up in increments of 2 or 5bpm at a time. This doesn’t make for steady progress. The old markings were set in a way that makes the progression between each step much more sensible.
Thanks for sharing the tip with other musicians!
My digital one has the old skool markings!
I always work with that one … and a tuning fork.