Thoughts on metronome usage

[ZackPomerleau]

Hey everyone. Looking at metronomes, and I had a question. I am looking at two. One has a really dedicated tuner (which would be very useful to me) but can only do triplets, triplets with no middle, quintuplets, eighth notes, and quints with no middle notes. Sounds good. But there is another on that does a tuning feature by playing a note (so no note recognition) but it does all that plus one and pattern (so think of the click just playing the ands), it also does 1e, not to mention 1eand, and also 1andA. So a bit more rhythmic wise...

So my question. I have never practiced to ANY of those before excepted a straight click. The first one is a Korg and the second is a Delta Lab. I would like a dedicated gig bag metronome so it's pretty much narrowed down. I am wondering if it's worth worrying about all these patterns or not. I'm not sure. I do know note recognition on the Korg would help with my singing and instrument playing (I will be learning winds), but the other had all the fancy patterns.

[porkpieguy]

Hey everyone. Looking at metronomes, and I had a question. I am looking at two. One has a really dedicated tuner (which would be very useful to me) but can only do triplets, triplets with no middle, quintuplets, eighth notes, and quints with no middle notes.


Why do you need a tuner? Do you play other instruments as well?



Sounds good. But there is another on that does a tuning feature by playing a note (so no note recognition) but it does all that plus one and pattern (so think of the click just playing the ands), it also does 1e, not to mention 1eand, and also 1andA. So a bit more rhythmic wise...


Why not just buy a tuner and a metronome? Do you really need both in one unit? If this were a guitar-playing forum, my answer may differ, but why not just have a dedicated metronome and maybe just a cheap Snark tuner that clips?



So my question. I have never practiced to ANY of those before excepted a straight click. The first one is a Korg and the second is a Delta Lab. I would like a dedicated gig bag metronome so it's pretty much narrowed down. I am wondering if it's worth worrying about all these patterns or not. I'm not sure. I do know note recognition on the Korg would help with my singing and instrument playing (I will be learning winds), but the other had all the fancy patterns.


Let me preface my answer by first disclaiming that I play with a metronome live with our worship team each week. I also practice with a metronome outside of band rehearsals, and I play along with MP3's of the songs we perform. At our church, I have a Boss metronome has several of the features: It plays quarters, eighths, sixteenths, triplets, the "swing" beat, etc. I have NEVER used anything besides eighths. Ever. Granted, everything that we play is usually pretty straight forward, but sometimes will play in 6/8 that has a little bit of a swing to it, and I still have the metronome set on 8ths. Just my $.02.

[ZackPomerleau]

Hey everyone. Looking at metronomes, and I had a question. I am looking at two. One has a really dedicated tuner (which would be very useful to me) but can only do triplets, triplets with no middle, quintuplets, eighth notes, and quints with no middle notes.


Why do you need a tuner? Do you play other instruments as well?



Sounds good. But there is another on that does a tuning feature by playing a note (so no note recognition) but it does all that plus one and pattern (so think of the click just playing the ands), it also does 1e, not to mention 1eand, and also 1andA. So a bit more rhythmic wise...


Why not just buy a tuner and a metronome? Do you really need both in one unit? If this were a guitar-playing forum, my answer may differ, but why not just have a dedicated metronome and maybe just a cheap Snark tuner that clips?



So my question. I have never practiced to ANY of those before excepted a straight click. The first one is a Korg and the second is a Delta Lab. I would like a dedicated gig bag metronome so it's pretty much narrowed down. I am wondering if it's worth worrying about all these patterns or not. I'm not sure. I do know note recognition on the Korg would help with my singing and instrument playing (I will be learning winds), but the other had all the fancy patterns.


Let me preface my answer by first disclaiming that I play with a metronome live with our worship team each week. I also practice with a metronome outside of band rehearsals, and I play along with MP3's of the songs we perform. At our church, I have a Boss metronome has several of the features: It plays quarters, eighths, sixteenths, triplets, the "swing" beat, etc. I have NEVER used anything besides eighths. Ever. Granted, everything that we play is usually pretty straight forward, but sometimes will play in 6/8 that has a little bit of a swing to it, and I still have the metronome set on 8ths. Just my $.02.

I am a music education major and a part of that is studying brass and woodwind instruments. So there would be a benefit to having a tuner that could tune wind instruments. I also play guitar, too. Not to mention studying solfege it might be beneficial matching pitch, who knows? That is just a possibility.

I can see the benefits of 16ths which the Korg has (hitting all of the subdivision or some of them). The rest, I can't think of any. So I think that tune might be the way to go.

[crispycritters]

I have a metronome with multi functions, so far I have only ever used it set on quarter notes - I tried it set for eighth and sixteenths once - the bleeping was driving my crazy and I wanted to throw the ******* thing across the room - it was like playing along to a pneumatic road drill.

I find leaving it set at quarter notes and quietly counting myself is of more use. You will know pretty quickly if your timing is off.

[yohin]

I don't think all those extra rhythmic features are necessary. Whenever I play with a metronome I only use quarters or eighths. If you want the metronome to only play on the & or e or whatever, just offset your playing so it lines up differently.

That being said, if one of them can do multiple time signatures then that's worth investing in IMO. Trying to groove in 6/8 (not to mention 7 or 5) when your metronome can only do 4 would drive me crazy.

[ZackPomerleau]

I don't think all those extra rhythmic features are necessary. Whenever I play with a metronome I only use quarters or eighths. If you want the metronome to only play on the & or e or whatever, just offset your playing so it lines up differently.

That being said, if one of them can do multiple time signatures then that's worth investing in IMO. Trying to groove in 6/8 (not to mention 7 or 5) when your metronome can only do 4 would drive me crazy.

They both go to 9 so that's set. I think I'll just get the multi-function one. It seems like a much better deal.

[xsabers]

Since I downloaded a free phone app metronome, it is pretty much all I need.

[rickthedrummer]

Click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, etc.

My timing must be off, I missed scotch time.

[JohnnySticks]

Get the one that does everything you need from a metronome. If you need a tuner you can download a free app for your phone.

[Powertrip240]

I use a Tama Rhythm Watch, which is capable of all different types of beats. When I first got it, I tried playing with different beats, i.e. triplets, 16th, etc. It was just too much going on in my ear. Now I just use quarters or eights. Still happy with the Rhythm Watch though.

As far as a tuner, I play guitar as well. I assume if you play guitar, you have a tuner already. A couple times, I tuned my toms to a specific pitch using my Snark clip-on tuner. It seemed to work just fine.

[8beat]

I tuned my toms to a specific pitch using my Snark clip-on tuner. It seemed to work just fine.

This is an interesting observation. Do you just clip the Snark on the rim and tune the drum head?