thanks for all the help people.
Playing to a steady beat, which is all a metronome will teach you, isn’t what makes you sound like a robot. You have to also learn to play with swing, to put the accents in the right places, to work out where on the beat you like to put the notes, all that. But playing at a steady tempo is absolutely essential, and for that, the 'nome is your best friend.
If you’re afraid of sounding robotic, try introducing swing into your rhythm. Experiment with playing on the front of the beat, or behind it. Kick the backbeats a little. See where all that takes you.
If the tick, tick, tick of the metronome bothers you, use a drum machine. You can download a decent freeware one here.
I agree with Rob. I’d add that one has to know how to use a metronome. For instance, if one’s playing a jig and has the 'nome play 123-456, well, the tune will lack any swing and won’t sound much like a jig. But put the beat on 1 and 4, or just on 1, and there’s enough space to accent certain beats and add some swing.
By the way, flutist Thomas Nyfenger referred to the metro-gnome as a small person living in the Paris subway…
Tap foot, tap feet, clap hands, yes!
A metronome, however, and here I refer to an ordinary time-keeper, is a bit like having an orchestral conductor in a box. Although I rarely use one, there are times, frankly, when a metronome can relieve a player of one task, to then allow the player to concentrate on another task; not with every tune, but once in a while. Again, if I use a metronome, at all, nearly all of my time with it is done before I pick up my instrument, and, other than for maybe a few trial runs, and for occasional use as a musical speedometer, I do not advocate using a metronome while playing.
It has been said that, when it comes to music, practise, practise, practise should NEVER make perfect!!
This is not metronome related, but you might find lilting to be helpful. I’m not an expert, but on Friday I rode my bike 15 miles to work, and kept myself entertained by lilting the tunes I’d been working on the night before. The next time I played, even on other tunes, I felt like my rhythm was much convincing. I think it’s because I was practicing the tunes and the rhythm and everything without involving the element of fine motor movement coordination.
Most of us are probably accustomed to speaking, walking, etc with a fairly regular rhythm, whether we realize it or not. It is possible to use that in music, but convincing ourselves that making music can be a natural thing, as well.
metronomes are great! the best thing i do with mine is keep it in the drawer 99% of the time.
just as with any tool, over using it can be detrimental. its best use is for building awareness, not for rushing notes at full speed between the beat.
who needs help playing quickly? i know i dont. when you’re first starting to play slowly (to work on the awareness you talk about), its nice to have a kick in the pants to remind you that you speed up after two phrases–a nice metronome set at 60 bpm or so. once you get the message, the metronome should be put in the drawer.
that being said i havent used my metronome to play irish music for over a year.
Although related, they are not the same: meter, phrasing, tempo, articulation. Initially, and for the most part, the metronome is used to help establish constant tempo. That’s obviously a good thing in dance music. It also helps with the placement of accents (another good thing). OTOH, I don’t find the metronome particularly useful for phrasing, breathing, or rhythmic variation (e.g., introducting back beat’s on the fly).
The metronome will only facilitate a certain aspect of rhythmic discipline and if the other aspects are ignored, then yes, the outcome will be robotic playing. That said, how can using one be a bad idea? (Psst, it’s also used quite a bit in recorded music, aka click track).
If you don’t like metronomes, then you might like this http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=48443
Yes!, I often find this when I’m out for a walk and there’s a tune running round my head. You can fit a jig or reel rhythm very nicely with your footsteps. The term jaunty jig comes to mind.
I’ve found that setting the metronome for only the first beat like you mentioned does work, because it still leaves you open to flexibility within the measure. If you really have a problem keeping time, then being a little robotic in the short term isn’t so bad. Then you can put it in the drawer and see if it’s been internalized.
Put the f…ing metronome in the drawer if it makes you uncomfortable. You do not need it.
Tap your foot. Unfortunately (maybe) most ITM players speed up as they get into the tune. There are worse things. Get the Amazing Slow Downer. Slow tunes down and play along with them.
Sheila Garry and Brid Cranitch have a great two-CD collection of tunes played slowly and right on the beat: The Blue CD Session Tunes, and The Orange….
Listen to and (if you can) play along with steady, accessible pure drop stuff: Kitty Hayes-Peter Laban’s CD: They"ll Be Good Yet. Or listen a lot to somebody with great rhythm and timing, like Catherine McEvoy or Mike Rafferty or Peader O’Loughlin/Ronan Browne’s, The South West Wind.
Ignore 95% of the bull shit advice offered on this forum. Most comes from people who are immodest chancers, people playing ITM for two or three years, classically trained players, wannabe flute-makers who can’t play well but who have all kinds of (irrelevant) advice to offer.
Just play-- play pretty and enjoy playing. Don’t make it hard. Make it easy. Learn to love to play.
Have you noticed that fewer accomplished players are contributing these days?
[End of sermon, end of rant]
Ignore 95% of the bull sh*t advice offered on this forum. Most comes from people who are immodest chancers, people playing ITM for two or three years, classically trained players, wannabe flute-makers who can’t play well but who have all kinds of (irrelevant) advice to offer.
Just play-- play pretty and enjoy playing. Don’t make it hard. Make it easy. Learn to love to play.
Is your advice always in the 5%?
Is your advice always in the 5%?
Only 5% of the time.
Unfortunately (maybe) most ITM players speed up as they get into the tune. There are worse things.
Well, there’s one worse thing: slowing down.
I find being unable to play at a steady tempo – to play in the pocket – to be pretty much the worst flaw a musician of any style can have. I’d rather play with someone who’s constantly out of tune than someone who’s constantly speeding up or slowing down.
That being said, I agree that long hours listening to the music played the right way is absolutely essential.
Ignore 95% of the bull sh*t advice offered on this forum.
Also agree. Remember this poll? With 65% of respondants knowing fewer than 100 tunes, this obviously isn’t the most authoritative place for advice on ITM.
(But do use a metronome. )
I guess I had better go back to lurking. I clearly have nothing to offer here.
Yep, all that’s left now are eBay notifications and show and tell.
Although I don’t believe everyone’s advice is equally valid, I’d say that any time people discuss music and the playing of it on this forum rather than (as Guinness points out) just instruments is a good thing… Maybe 95% of the advice people post is bullshit but the other 5% wouldn’t get posted if there wasn’t the occasional post from someone who actually wants to get better.
I am quite new at playing flute, but I have been playing and at times teaching music with other instruments for 35 years. I don’t tell it to show off in any way, but to emphases the validity of this advice:
- If someone sounds like a robot when playing with a metronome, it means this person is in a great need of playing with a metronome, and should make it her/his priority exercise untill he can flutter around the tempo without losing it. Time waits for nobody. Nor even in music does it bend to the will or the flaws of anyone.
Use amazing slow downer or somesuch. Pay close attention to the tune, its rhythm, pulse, etc. and let that be your metronome. And tap your foot!! After a while it will become an instinctive built-in metronome that you can take anywhere.
If you listen to an album like “Double-barrelled” you can even hear the feet tapping. Feeling the pulse of a tune and a tapping foot is better than any metronome.
If advice from accomplished players falls on deaf ears then it’s less likely to be offered…
The bottom line for me is that I learn a lot from
this board, cocus, for one, is very helpfull to me.
If experienced people are posting less, though, let me
suggest that intemperate posts may have something
to do with that.
It’s an irony that sometimes when you get the few
people together who truly love something, who therefore have more in common
with each other than they do with most anybody else, whatever
their differences amount to,
they say mean things about
each other.
Playing slowly is for me something I have to keep reminding
myself to do. For me it’s easier to play fast than slow, but
playing slow is the key to playing well.
I don’t like metronomes, but that’s just me.
I like very much the orange CD cocus mentions above
and Mike R’s playing is pure gold. These other CDs
are plainly worth getting if they have the same
relaxed, rhythmic playing. Veryhelpful to listen
to such playing, and inspiring in a way, because there is at least
the illusion that it is attainable.