How to Choose the Best Metronome for Your Piano Students

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Whether you and your piano students are raving fans of the metronome, or whether your feelings are quite the opposite, in this article you’ll find a list of creative metronome options your piano students will love. Keep reading to learn how to choose the best metronome for your piano students.

 

What is the purpose of a metronome?

Do your students have a love/hate relationship with using the metronome? Do they love the consistency, the predictability, and the steadiness?

Or does the word “metronome” strike unnecessary fear in your students? Do they ignore it and play at their own tempo? Do they even use it at all?

Why do we use metronomes? How do metronomes help our piano students and ourselves? Metronomes can be beneficial in a number of ways! Here are a few:

  • Steady beat/pulse
  • Increase tempo of a piece methodically
  • Help improve technique and agility
  • Practice at a specific tempo
  • Slow practice
  • Ensemble preparation
  • Performance preparation

 

How many different types of metronomes are there?

There are 4 main types of metronomes: Mechanical, digital, quartz, and apps.

Mechanical metronome

A mechanical metronome is the kind you may have had growing up. My first metronome was a Wittner Piccolo Metronome and I loved it! One of my teens loves her Donner Metronome.

Mechanical metronomes have a small weight on the end of an inverted pendulum that swings back and forth at a specific tempo, depending on where you place the weight.

The higher you place the weight, the slower the tempo. The lower you place the weight, the faster the tempo.

Mechanical metronomes don’t require batteries. Instead, they need to be wound up to operate. Here are some examples of mechanical metronomes.

Make sure your mechanical metronome is sitting on an even surface though, because an uneven surface can make it off balance and the beat will be unsteady.

Digital metronome

A digital metronome is an electronic metronome that has buttons and/or dials that you use to control the tempo, volume, and other settings. They generally run on batteries, rechargeable batteries, and USB.

Digital metronomes come in all shapes and sizes. Often, they look like a small box, or they can look like a wristwatch. Some of them are even similar in shape to a mechanical metronome. Here are some examples of digital metronomes.

I used a tiny digital metronome in graduate school because of the portability. It was so small it could easily fit into my pocket, and it had lots of sound options and a headphone jack which I really loved.

Quartz metronome

A quartz metronome is probably the most basic metronome in terms of technology. It uses a blinking light and/or clicking sound to cue the beat, and you can adjust the tempo with a dial.

Quartz metronomes often include an A440 tuner as well and are often powered by a 9V battery. Here are some examples of quartz metronomes.

App metronome

App-based metronomes that you can download onto your phone or iPad are a very popular metronome for piano students. There are a large number of both free and paid options in the App Store and on Google Play.

Using an app as a metronome might be the most convenient metronome for piano students, as most of us always have our phones with us no matter where we go.

If you’re looking for a great free metronome app, I and several of my students use Pro Metronome for iPhone or iPad. It has a variety of sounds and options that meet our needs nicely.

Plus, my students can’t say they forgot their metronome if it’s on their phone!

 

When should piano students use a metronome?

When should your students start using a metronome? There are lots of opinions on this topic, for sure! And there is also a wide variety of “metronome” options, depending on the situation.

If you primary goal is to help your students learn to feel a steady beat, then playing duets before using a metronome is a fabulous way to do that at any age or level.

If you want your students to learn how to play through a mistake without stopping, sight-reading easy pieces of music while using the metronome, a drum track, or other track that you created in GarageBand or on your Clavinova is a great way to work on that skill.

What about using a metronome to increase the tempo of tricky passages in their music? This works well if students start playing at a tempo that is slow enough for them to play solidly and securely, then gradually increase the tempo while maintaining accuracy.

If you need some attractive and engaging sheet music and sight-reading games for your students so they can practice with one of these creative metronome options, you’ll find a wide variety of sheet music for all levels written and arranged by our talented creative team.

 

How to choose the best metronome for your piano students

When choosing the best metronome for your piano students, there are several things to consider so that you can help them choose the most appropriate metronome for their individual needs and goals.

Here are a few questions to ask as you are making that decision.

What can your student already do successfully?

Where is your student in their journey of using a metronome? What are they currently capable of doing right now with regards to keeping a steady beat independently, successfully playing along with a practice track, etc.?

What help does your student need now?

What does your student need help with? Feeling a steady beat, playing with a steady beat, hearing how their music is or isn’t keeping time with the metronome or practice track?

Does your student require an individual accommodation and need a more out-of-the-box creative solution when it comes to choosing a metronome?

What is your end goal?

With regards to having the student use the metronome, what is your end goal? Playing with a steady beat, increasing the tempo in their technical exercises, learning to play with an ensemble, etc.?

What is your preference?

Do you prefer a mechanical, digital, quartz, or app metronome? Does your student have a preference?

What is the budget?

What is your budget for a metronome? What is your student’s budget? Do you need to start with a free app option and then save up for a nice mechanical metronome?

 

6 Creative Metronome Options for Piano Students

We’ve discussed the purpose of a metronome, types of metronomes, and how to choose the best metronome for your piano students. Now let’s take a look at a few creative metronome options that your piano students will love.

1. Vibrating metronome watch

A vibrating metronome watch is a small metronome that you wear like a wristwatch. It vibrates on each beat, making it a very quiet and unobtrusive metronome option.

2. Drum tracks on YouTube

A search on YouTube will yield lots of drum tracks like this one, and this one, which are great options for students to practice along with.

3. Count out Lout Metronome

Speakbeat is a metronome that counts out loud for your students. It could be a great option for students who are struggling to play and count simultaneously.

4. Teacher duets and practice tracks

Duet playing is my favorite activity for preparing students to use a metronome. As we play together, I am modeling a steady beat, musicality, rhythmic accuracy, and more.

Once students grow comfortable playing along with me, they can easily use the practice tracks in their piano books at home.

Methods such as My First Piano Adventure make their accompaniment tracks available online. There are multiple tempo options so students can play along during lessons and at home.

These skills are all stepping stones for a student to be able to use a metronome independently.

5. AnyTune Pro app

Using the AnyTune Pro app is similar to having students play along with practice tracks from their method books, and they can play along with ANY song in their music library!

The AnyTune Pro app is fabulous for helping students learn to play along with any songs they like, using lead sheets or chord charts.

Learn how my pre-teens and teens use the AnyTune Pro app to learn their songs ahead of time for praise and worship band practice by creating set lists, changing the tempo, changing the key of the songs, and more.

6. iReal Pro app

The iReal Pro app is another fantastic play-along app that includes a huge library of chord charts, a large collection of jam tracks in many styles, and much more.

It’s a versatile and handy practice tool for students of all ages and a wide variety of levels.

Need a chord chart that isn’t already in the app? No problem! Edit the chord charts in the app to suit your needs, or create your own custom chord charts from scratch. Learn more about the iReal Pro app.

 

What do piano teachers say about using a metronome?

Ashley R. says:

“I think metronomes are an important part of practice routines. It is difficult to understand what a goal tempo should be without one.

I really like the tonal energy tuner and metronome app. This app allows for changes in time signature, subdivision, etc. You can also record and use the metronome at the same time.

Another thought: students have to be taught how to use the metronome. Telling a student to practice with a metronome isn’t helpful unless they understand the best practices for using one.

I also think it is important for teachers to play with the students when first introducing the metronome. Playing with a metronome is a skill similar to playing with others.

In my experience, students typically respond better when they play with a teacher staying with the metronome. The use of the metronome should happen in lessons with the teacher first and then be added to independent practice later.”

Patricia M. says:

“I don’t like to use [a metronome] unless I’m getting a student ready for an exam. I use it to increase speed.

If I do use [a metronome], I have the student count out loud with it. Kids tend to play without counting and just listen to the ticks. Some can then have trouble playing what they’re working on.”

Maria K. says:

“I absolutely think [metronomes] are helpful when at the beginning stages of learning a piece.

I grew up using the wind-up kind that has the weight that goes back and forth. I would set it slow to work through a difficult passage and incrementally work my way up to tempo. For me, that process was half the fun. 😄

Now I use one on my phone. It’s ok and does the job when I need it. But I like the old ones because you get the visual movement as well as the click sound.

I see ones are out now that you wear, which could prove helpful. I think any way one can internalize beat is important…especially when learning or playing with others.

However, my goal would always be to get myself and students off the metronome once a piece is solid so that it can live and breathe and not sound so mechanical. 🎶

 

What is your favorite metronome?

Help others choose the best metronome for their piano students! What are your thoughts on having your students use a metronome? Is it a requirement in your studio? Are there any other types of metronomes that you would add to this list? Comment below and let us know!

 

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Melody Payne

Melody Payne

Dr. Melody Payne is a pianist, teacher, and educational resource author who believes that all piano students deserve the best musical experiences possible, in every single lesson. Melody self-publishes pedagogical materials for piano students as well as piano teaching articles and professional development courses for piano teachers. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Music with emphases in music education and piano pedagogy and a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from Louisiana State University, and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music through the Music Teachers National Association. Melody and her husband Greg live in Marion, Virginia, a small town nestled in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, where she teaches children and adults of all ages and abilities in her online piano studio.

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Welcome!

Hi! I’m Melody Payne, a pianist and piano teacher, educational resource author, a fun-loving wife to the most wonderful and talented hubby I could ask for, and a lifelong learner who loves to share. I want to make your life as a music teacher easier by writing and sharing helpful and relevant music teaching articles, and by creating educational resources with your very own students in mind. If you are a parent who wants to enroll your child in piano lessons, I’d love for us to get started building those skills that can give your child a lifetime of musical enjoyment!

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