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Using a Metronome 101.
Why Use a Metronome?
Have you ever wondered how world-class violinists got to be world-class violinists? The answer is VERY SLOWLY. They practiced one measure, one note at a time just like you. And a lot of them did it at the tempo of a turtle. Itzhak Perlman himself lives by the quote "When you learn it slow, you forget it slow." Hilary Hahn also gave this tip; "Starting from the beginning of your piece, play everything in slow motion: every note, every bowstroke, every shift, and every string crossing." Although practicing slow should only be one of your practicing methods, it is an important one.
The Basics
Rhythm is one element of the violin that is being perfected when you slow down the tempo. Rhythm by definition is uniformed, consistent, regular and patterned. A metronome is a device that beeps, lights-up, or ticks at a very consistent uniformed speed. To better understand rhythm you need to study it out, find patterns, and discover where each beat in the measure falls. Correct rhythm combined with metronome practice is music to any violin teacher's ears, and a powerful tool for more efficient and effective practice time.
Strategies for Practice
1. Start at a very slow tempo this will vary depending on what song you are playing, but I usually begin at 50 to 60 bpm (beats per minute). Once you have mastered it at this tempo, speed it up 2-6 bpm. Practice it at this new tempo, master it and then speed it up again. Repeat this until you have reached the desired tempo of a song. You might not reach the desired tempo in a day, but over time you will.
2. My very wise violin teacher that I had growing up councils her students to make an effort to practice the entire song at the same tempo. Students have a tendency to play the easy parts too fast and the hard parts too slow. To curb this bad habit try practicing the entire song at the speed you can play all of the notes. Do this by playing the most difficult passages with a metronome. Find out what tempo you can play the hard parts at. Then set your metronome to that speed and play the entire song. Practicing this way will lead to consistent and even tempos throughout the your entire piece.
3. Recently I discovered this awesome website called Virtual Sheet Music. They have thousands of downloadable sheet music including violin solo, duet, trio, quartet and orchestra music. But what sets them apart from other sites with sheet music is that they have an MP3 feature that has piano accompaniments with audio metronome built in. You also have the choice to play the accompaniment at different speeds. This feature is perfect for practicing!
Music Accompaniment Files - how it works
Or if you want to search for an exact piece to practice, type in your song in the box below.
I get excited when I think about practicing with Virtual Sheet Music and I'm an adult. Just think how excited and motivated your student will be if they can hear what the piece sounds like with accompaniment.
My Personal Experience
The Practice Routine - I had a university professor that had me practice my scales with a metronome. I was to begin practicing my three octave scales at 60 bpm. At each speed I practiced the scale in half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and finally sixteenth notes using single bows. After I had played each of the varying notes (half note, quarter note, etc.) perfectly at 60 bpm, I increased the speed by 10 bpm. The goal - As determined by my teacher, my goal was to reach 120 b.p.m every day and to eventually be able to play sixteenth notes at 120 bpm comfortably. The Benefits - My overall playing developed a more consistent and even tempo.My ability to play at faster speeds improved drastically. I also gained a better 'musical ear' for hearing and sight-reading rhythms.