A metronome for a guitarist is a necessary thing in a musician’s arsenal. How to play with a metronome on guitar

Metronome- this is a special device, the main task of which is to set an even tempo and highlight the beat using strokes. Mechanical metronomes have a special pendulum with a scale that indicates the tempo, and a weight that sets this very tempo. Electronic devices that have appeared now have a built-in sound sample - a blow or a squeak, which marks the desired speed.

Metronome required any musician, regardless of what instrument he plays. Now this is the only device that can count the tempo as smoothly as possible and help in developing a sense of rhythm and studying patterns and sizes.

How does a metronome work?

The design principle of this item is as simple as possible. In electronic versions, you select a time signature and set the tempo you want, after which you begin to hear a beep at regular intervals. Even in the simplest devices, you can set any time signature convenient for you, as well as the beat speed. Sometimes you can change the sound to something more pleasant for you.

The video is in English, but you don’t need knowledge of the language to understand it.

Types of metronomes

Pocket-type electronic metronomes

They are small devices with a screen and a speaker, as well as a headphone jack. They can be easily placed in your pocket and, if necessary, taken out in any convenient place. This device is especially suitable for drummers who plug it into their ears during rehearsals.

Mechanical metronomes

The very first models of these devices, which were used by many famous composers. In them, you can only set the tempo yourself by moving the pendulum weight up or down - and you choose the size yourself. He does not emphasize accents, and this is somewhat inconvenient for beginning musicians.

This is already a full-fledged musical instrument. Drum machines have a whole library of different presets with drum sounds - from a regular kick drum to exotic ones, such as cowbells and electronic sounds. If you want to play in a band but can't find a drummer, try a drum machine. Nowadays you can even find similar programs on the Internet - for example, the Easy Drummer or Addictive Drums plugin.

CD Metronome

A rather outdated thing, which, at the same time, is still found among some musicians. This metronome is a CD on which beats are recorded at different tempos. On the disc itself, all tracks are numbered for easy searching. This is an extremely inconvenient thing, because the number of speeds is limited and it is impossible to change them.

Smartphone applications

This type of metronome is in most cases free and is always at your fingertips. The applications have standard functionality, the same as on a mechanical and electronic device. The most profitable and simple solution, especially for beginner guitarists.

Computer programs

Now on the Internet you can find a huge number of programs with a built-in metronome. The most obvious options are Guitar Pro or Fruity Loops, but you can also download pure utilities whose main function is to count tempo.

Online programs that work directly on the site

You can use this program directly on our website. works directly in the browser. It is no different from conventional electronic device options and provides the same functions.

Most likely, you will immediately abandon the mechanical and CD versions of this device, since they have little functionality. A website with an online metronome is well suited for home practice. You will not clog up your computer with unnecessary programs, without losing any opportunities and scope in setting the speed and size. If you play not only at home, but also at rehearsals, then think about purchasing an electronic metronome and headphones for it.

All songs have a clear tempo and time signature in which they are played. An ideal performance of a song implies that all musicians are completely in tune with the rhythm and tempo. It is for training the sense of rhythm that a metronome is needed. Thanks to it, you will learn to play smoothly, focusing your performance on the right beats. Plus, with a metronome, you can practice the clarity and smoothness of different rhythmic patterns, such as syncopation or swing. Basically, the development of playing technique occurs through playing under impacts from the device.

How to use a metronome

Understand basic theory: measures, measures, beats, tempo

First, you should understand what can be set in a metronome. Elementary music theory answers this question:

Tact- a unit of meter that begins with the strongest beat and ends before an equal beat. In other words, this is a segment of the composition during which the metronome manages to count the number of beats equal to its size.

Size– a unit that indicates the number of beats in a measure. Usually indicated by a slash - for example, 4/4. The first number indicates how many beats are included in the measure, and the second number indicates the length of the notes that are included there.

Share– one beat of the metronome. The share can be strong - as a rule, it is the first, relatively strong and weak.

Pace– the speed at which the song is played. Changes in bpm - beats per minute - the number of beats per minute.

Practice playing to a metronome at a specific tempo. Find the maximum point at which you can still play passages and reduce it by a third. This is your most comfortable pace when you are not overexerting yourself when playing.

Pace

After you select the pace for yourself, start playing the exercises, gradually increasing it. Ideally, you should increase the tempo by 1-2 bpm every hour, and then your hands will get used to the new speeds. Accelerating your fingers and wrist is a difficult and time-consuming process, so you will have to work hard.

Time signatures: common and complex

There are only two common sizes - 4/4 and 3/4, as well as derivatives from them - 8/8, 6/8 and so on. Complex ones are combinations of simple ones - for example, 7/8 is a combination of 4/4 + 3/4, and so on by analogy. You will have to get used to complex meters, because they have a peculiar rhythm and arrangement of beats.

Volume

Of course, don't forget about the volume. Everything needs to be set up so that you can hear clearly , as well as the metronome countdown and, accordingly, your hitting it.

How to play with a metronome on guitar

Learn a piece of music, piece or song

Take any of your favorite songs and try to learn it. Will it be a standard composition on an acoustic guitar or an electric passage. Play it the way you want, and when you know the lyrics, turn on the metronome and start playing along with it.

It is likely that you will not be able to do this at the original tempo of the composition. In this case, lower the tempo to something more comfortable for you and play accurately with the metronome beats. Accelerate gradually and sooner or later you will reach the desired speed.

Focus on difficult areas and practice them

Of course, the first thing you need to do is watch how you play. The sound should be clean, with good attack and without unnecessary overtones. If you find it difficult to play certain moments of the song, then the best option would be to lower the tempo specifically in this section and repeat the place until the moment when you can play cleanly at the desired speed.

Practice the entire song or piece

As soon as the text is memorized, start playing it in full. In the same way, watch the sound and be sure to hit the beat, attack, accents and purity of the game.

When practicing a song, regularly increase the bpm of the metronome by 1-2 units, if at the current tempo you can handle it without problems. Thanks to this, the changes in your hands will occur smoothly, and they will gradually get used to the new speeds. Continue until you reach the original tempo of the song.

Exercises with a metronome

1 exercise

This exercise will allow you to feel the pulsations.It looks like this:

Set the metronome to a comfortable tempo, but not the maximum one for you. Now, for every beat of the metronome, you must strike the string twice. That is, conditionally, if the time signature in which you play is 4/4, then there should be eight strokes - that is, twice as fast. After that, try playing three notes for each beat, and so on. This is difficult, but it noticeably accelerates the hand, and allows you to understand how to accelerate evenly within the same tempo.

Practical examples of exercise 1

Play one beat 2 notes/strings

Play 3 notes/strings on one beat

Play 4 notes/strings on one beat

Exercise 2

This will allow you to practice your syncopation. Set the tempo and now play along with it with offset beats. That is, instead of the standard “One - two - three - four” you will play “One - pause - two-three - pause - one-two” and so on. Through this exercise you will understand how you can add variety to your playing and how you can interact with the beats within the music.

Practical example of exercise 2. Listen to the audio to understand how to play correctly.

A metronome is an important and necessary thing for any musician. It is highly advisable that you start practicing with it as soon as you pick up the instrument. Thanks to this, you will not only learn faster, , but also immediately accustom yourself to a clear and even performance of the piece.

Always start your practice by warming up with a metronome - but never set yourself to the maximum values ​​when you are playing at the limit of your capabilities. Pay attention first of all to how evenly and cleanly you play - and not to speed. This is when you will reach great guitar heights.

Let's first find out what a metronome is (please do not confuse it with a pressure gauge), and what types of this device there are.

A metronome is a mechanical or electronic device that measures, plays, taps (underline as appropriate) a certain rhythm or rhythmic pattern (depending on the coolness of the device itself) at a predetermined speed: from the slowest (for beginners and students) to the fastest (for advanced monsters with trained hands). I want to emphasize the last thing! Contrary to popular belief, big monster pros also practice using a metronome.

Metronomes are divided into two families: mechanical and electronic, which, in turn, are divided into a bunch of types. And each musician chooses the metronome that suits him best. Let's take a closer look at each family.

Mechanical metronomes

This is the oldest species found in nature. People of the old school, who in their youth, for one reason or another, attended music schools, remember wooden pyramids, the size of a box of pencils, standing on pianos or in glass cabinets with all sorts of musical utensils, in the offices of strict and starched teachers. These are the famous “great-grandfathers” of all modern metronomes.

Since those times, the species has evolved greatly. Now metronomes are made not only from wood, but also from composite materials. If previously the mechanical metronome was stationary (from the “not a step from home” series), now small, “pocket” metronomes are produced. They are convenient to carry, for example, in a case with a violin, etc. Some models have a bell-bell to emphasize the downbeat, and the “emphasis” is set depending on the size of the piece being learned with a metronome. Of course, electronic metronomes are superior in functionality to their mechanical counterparts, but the latter have several undeniable qualities that I would like to draw your attention to.

For starters, this is excellent visibility: a mechanical metronome has a pendulum, the swinging in different directions of which would not be noticed except by a blind, deaf, mute sea captain. Even if the musician is completely absorbed in the game, he will still track the pendulum with his peripheral vision.

And what can compare with the natural click of a real mechanism? This sound can be listened to as a serenade, it is absolutely not annoying and fits perfectly into the sound of any instrument, without falling out of the overall picture, like a student who did not live to receive his scholarship from the bus.

And, of course, the execution - mechanical metronomes, especially those that have a traditional pyramid shape, look surprisingly sophisticated. They will add color to any room and create a creative atmosphere, being one of the symbols of musical culture.

These metronomes can be used by any musician, but I would especially recommend them to beginners because they are easy to use and easy to read, and they (metronomes, of course, not beginners) do not require batteries. It uses a mechanism similar to a clockwork, i.e. You just need to start the device like a regular old-mode alarm clock.

Electronic metronomes

This is a fairly new type, but has already managed to win the hearts of a large number of musicians around the world. This type is especially preferred by artists who play power instruments. As a rule, electronic metronomes are small in size and can easily fit in the palm of your hand. This is done so that the metronome can be hidden in any case, trunk, travel bag, in general, who hasn’t figured it out yet, in any container in which a musical instrument is stored and transported. Electronic metronomes have a lot of useful functions, such as a tuning fork, accent, shifting this accent to incredible rhythms, which are used by highly talented jazz players or tribes of pygmy pig-eaters from the impenetrable jungle to play their favorite drums, covered with the skin of eaten enemies from a neighboring tribe. In general, they are able to satisfy almost any “capricious” user.

There are even hybrid models combined with a tuner (this is a device for tuning musical instruments into a more or less human tuning, so that listeners don’t run away like cockroaches in the kitchen from the owner’s slipper), but about it (about the tuner, of course, and not about the slipper owner of the apartment), will be discussed in another article. Electronic tuners can “knock” (a nice word), “squeak”, “click” or simulate a click - whoever knows what. Some models even have a set of such “call signs” in order to please the ears of their owner as much as possible while he is struggling with the next scale or learning “this etude”, in general, the whole range of pleasures in this direction.

We have this type of metronomes represented by Stagg (in particular, the TUM-50 model), Yamaha (models: ME-100, ME-150BK, QT-1, QT1B) and many other companies and models.

Separately, I would like to pay attention to such a device as the Electronic Metronome for Drummers. This is the most serious and sophisticated device from this family. From the name it is clear that it is intended mainly for drummers - in addition to all sorts of accents and offsets, it has several functions that are not found in any of the above metronomes.

It’s no secret that drummers’ brains are divided into 4 parts, each of which is responsible for the arm or leg entrusted to it, so that they, these same arms or legs, can play the drum set harmoniously without interfering with each other. So, this same metronome for the drummer can produce a rhythm personally for each limb of the drummer; for this, the metronome has several small faders (sliders) to mix this or that rhythm for this or that arm or leg! Here, I spoke! This device also has a memory for memorizing rhythms for each individual composition. It’s very convenient to use at concerts - put on the right thing and sit and tap, and “you can’t run away” from the surging emotions. For example, such a device is made by Yamaha, model CL-ST ClickStation.

Hello! I decided, so to speak, to follow up on my previous article, to write a post where I want to consider in detail the question of why a metronome is needed for a guitarist, and also tell you the structure of a metronome, its main types and purpose.

So, first, we will find out what a metronome is, and then we will move on to the varieties of this device.

Metronome- a mechanical or electronic device that measures (tapping) a certain rhythm at a predetermined speed, ranging from 35 to 250 beats per minute. It is used by musicians when performing a composition as an accurate guide to the tempo and helps during rehearsals when practicing various exercises.

Any piece of music can be played at either a slow or fast tempo. When learning a new composition, you should always start at a slow tempo in order to eventually play every note clearly and beautifully. And in this way, gradually approach your goal, reaching the original tempo indicated in the piece of music, thanks to the metronome assistant.

Metronomes are divided into three families:

• Mechanical
• Electronic
• Software

Each musician chooses the metronome that best suits his requirements. Now let's take a closer look at each family.

Mechanical metronomes

The oldest and very first type of metronome that was once invented. The current older generation, who attended music schools in childhood, still remembers small wooden pyramids that stood in glass cabinets or on pianos in the offices of strict music teachers. These pyramids are the ancestors of all modern metronomes.

This species has evolved quite a lot since then. Nowadays, mechanical metronomes are made not only from wood, but also use modern composite materials, such as plastic, for example. Previously, these devices were stationary, but today they are made in a more compact size so that they can easily be put in the pocket of a guitar case.

In the design of some metronomes, special bells began to appear that place emphasis on the downbeat, and such an “emphasis” is set depending on the size of the musical composition being learned under the metronome. Of course, electronic counterparts are significantly superior in functionality to mechanical metronomes, but the latter have several undeniable advantages that are still worth paying attention to. Here are the main ones:

• Visibility. A mechanical metronome has a pendulum that swings in different directions, so it is difficult not to notice it even for a musician who is completely absorbed in playing his instrument. He will always be able to track the movement of the pendulum with peripheral vision.
• Sound. The natural click of a real mechanism cannot be compared with electronics. This sound is absolutely not annoying and can be listened to as a serenade, and it clearly fits into the overall picture of the sound of any instrument.
• Form. For mechanical metronomes it is traditional - in the form of a sophisticated pyramid. This design will add color to any room and also create a creative atmosphere.
• Simplicity. Metronomes of this type, due to their clarity and ease of use, can be used by all musicians without exception, and I would also recommend them to beginning guitarists. They don't need batteries because they have a clock-like mechanism, i.e. Before use, the device must be wound up, like an old mechanical alarm clock.

How does a mechanical metronome work?

The metronome is incredibly simple. The main parts are: steel spring, transmission, anchor escapement. Unlike mechanical watches, the pendulum here is not round, but long with a moving weight, where the axis of the escapement comes into contact with the case and clicks on it. Some models also have a function of strong 2, 3, 5 and 6 beats. Especially for this, the drum is mounted on the release axis, which, like a barrel organ, consists of several wheels with pins, and a bell with a lever moves along it. The bell gives the required share depending on which drum wheel it will be installed opposite.

Electronic metronomes

This is a new and modern type of metronome that has captured the hearts of many musicians around the world. Such devices are most preferred by artists who play power instruments. Electronic metronomes, as a rule, are small in size and therefore easily fit in the palm of your hand and can be hidden in any case or travel bag.

Digital metronomes have many useful functions, such as tuning fork, accent, and accent shift, and can satisfy almost any “capricious” user. There are also hybrid models that are combined with a digital tuner, but we will talk about that in another article.

Separately, I would like to mention electronic metronomes for drummers, because... These devices are perhaps the most sophisticated of this family. In addition to various accents and shifts, such metronomes have additional capabilities.

It's no secret that drummers' brains are divided into 4 parts, each of which controls a specific limb. Especially for them, metronomes were invented that can produce a rhythm personally for each limb of the drummer. To do this, the device has several sliders (faders) in order to mix a particular rhythm for a particular leg or arm. This metronome also has a built-in memory for recording and storing rhythms for each individual composition. At concerts, the thing is absolutely irreplaceable - turn on the desired rhythm and tap yourself calmly, being confident that you “can’t run away” from the randomly surging emotions.

From the name it is clear that this is nothing more than a special program installed in the Windows OS environment or an application for Android and iOS. Like real metronomes, virtual metronomes similarly perform their function by generating sound signals at a predetermined tempo and/or using visual effects (flashing lights, images of numbers). There are quite a lot of such programs and they are not difficult to find on the Internet.

That's all I wanted to tell you in general terms about metronomes. I think now you understand why a guitarist needs a metronome, and you will become friends with it, because... This is a very useful and necessary thing in the arsenal of every musician. You will take the right step towards competent guitar playing, because “smooth” musicians have been valued at all times. This is especially appreciated when working together in a group with other musicians. Therefore, I wish you creative heights and success in music. See you soon on the blog pages!

The metronome is an important instrument for guitar practice. It is especially useful for beginners. But, like any device, it has certain rules of use. To properly practice with a metronome, you need to know how to use it correctly.

Now the Internet is full of calls to practice with a metronome - because it is necessary, important and very useful. Moreover, some “experts” claim that playing to a metronome is the most important condition for proper practice. But is this so and is it always necessary to do this?

Let's figure it out.

Metronome - friend or foe?

We would like to say right away that in this short article we will only outline some points of a correct understanding of the purpose of a metronome, as a device that helps to develop your rhythmic ear and sense of metrorhythm. We wrote this material so that you can think about these problems, and not blindly follow the advice of some unscrupulous and unprofessional music “gurus”.

At the National Guitar Academy, we develop rhythmic ear and understanding of rhythm laws in other ways. But if you want to use a metronome in your practice, at least use it correctly! And for this you need to understand some laws of music and musical performance. This is what we'll talk about.

Let's start with the fact that not all music is perfectly metrical. Yes, there is a lot of hard and clearly rhythmic music:

• Firstly, this is all dance music - marches, waltzes, polkas, tangos, polonaises, fandango, foxtrot, breakdancing, etc., etc.
• Secondly, this is almost all rock and pop music, which also belongs to strictly rhythmic music, where a clear constant meter rhythm is set, and the beat of the strong and weak beats is strictly controlled by the rhythm section.

But fortunately, there are other genres and styles of music. These are many genres of non-dance music - vocal and instrumental.

If you start playing a gentle nocturne or a thoughtful ballad absolutely metronomically, like a machine gun, you will end up with a complete misunderstanding. This music should be free, its breathing does not fit into the even and soulless tapping of beats with a metronome. In it, small fluctuations in the metrhythm are not only acceptable, but also necessary.

Absolutely metronomic performance of music is soulless and dead!

It would be good to remember that there is a whole section in music called agogics.

Agogics (from other Greek ἀγωγή - withdrawal, carrying away) in musical performing arts - small deviations (slowing down / acceleration) of tempo and meter, subordinate purposes of artistic expression.

Look how many different terms describe the nuances of changing tempo in music:

• accelerando (accelerating);
• stringendo (faster);
• stretto (squeezing, cutting);
• ritenuto (slowing down);
• ritardando (delaying);
• rallentando (slowing down, delaying);
• allargando (expanding)…

And these are not all the designations of the subtlest nuances of agogics.

If you play music completely metronomically from beginning to end, then what about agogic shades? But agogy, along with dynamics, articulation, and coloristics, is one of the most powerful expressive means in music! If you use it skillfully. And if you abandon agogics, playing music like a jukebox, then you lose a very serious lever of artistic expression.

Remember: no serious and sensible musician, be it a pianist, conductor or violinist, has ever practiced constantly with a metronome! Musicians use it only to adjust to the correct tempo in music and check the accuracy of the execution of any complex rhythmic formulas, so as not to stray from the correct meter rhythm.

Primitively even metrical performance stifles and emasculates the music!

Listen to the most outstanding musicians play. You will undoubtedly feel that under their fingers, each piece has its own special breath of rhythm, meter and tempo! They don't play in a stupidly primitive metronomic way.

It's very easy to check. Try to match the frequency of the metronome to the beat of a performance, for example, by a symphony orchestra. We can confidently say that you will be able to get your metronome to tap along with the orchestra in just a few bars. Then the metronome and the orchestra will definitely go their separate ways. Why?

Do top-class professionals who have devoted their whole lives to music and playing music in a huge symphony orchestra really not have a super-developed sense of rhythm? Of course not!

They simply understand rhythm much broader and deeper than performing to the uniform mechanical ticking of a metronome. But it’s just much easier for an orchestra to play metro-rhythmically evenly.

But they play in a complex, variable meter rhythm even where the size of the music does not change for many, many measures. And not because the conductor and orchestra have a broken sense of rhythm. But because the performance of meaningful and deep music is subject to more complex meter-rhythmic laws. Here, absolute metronomicity will be the enemy, killing the essence and soul of Music.

And what about the performance of our brilliant balalaika player Alexei Arkhipovsky? Listen to his "Pretty". Try tapping your foot to the rhythm of his playing. You will immediately feel that he plays rhythmically very complexly. The pace of his play is constantly changing. But what amazing expressiveness and spirituality of performance. And no one has yet blamed the Master for the non-metronomic quality of his playing! Even the world famous Tommy Emmanuel sincerely admires Arkhipovsky’s art.

You can listen to the performance of outstanding violinists, pianists, cellists - you will see the same picture.

Is there no meter, rhythm, or downbeats in their music? All this is there, of course! But all this is subordinated to musical expressiveness and artistic image.

It is not music that should be subordinated to rhythm, but rhythm to music!

Do you think they can play absolutely rhythmically? You can rest assured that they can do it very well! Playing rhythmically is much easier than being able to make the meter rhythm serve the imagery of the game. Correctly using meter rhythm to create an artistic image is a very difficult art, which not every musician masters perfectly. And you really need to learn this!

Besides, if everyone plays absolutely rhythmically, then why do we need a person at all? Do you seriously think that a musician is a kind of rudiment of musical art and is no longer needed? After all, if you put notes into any music editor, it will play the music absolutely rhythmically, smoothly and correctly.

It’s just that listening to such a performance is boring and somehow you don’t want to!

Okay, let's turn to another example - poetry. There is also meter and meter rhythm: iambic, trochee, dactyl, amphibrachium... But listen to how the most outstanding actors read poetry. There is no smell of exactly the same metronomic quality there! These are only mediocre readers, amateurs, and schoolchildren who recite poetry evenly and soullessly. Among the masters, the meter rhythm is subtly subordinated to imagery and artistic design. But the laws of poetry and music are very close. That is why they easily merged in the most popular musical genre - the song.

Remember: a metronome can be a friend, or it can be an enemy that will kill your music, turning it into a soulless alternation of strong and weak beats.

So how can you use a metronome without harming the music?

Rule 1: A metronome can and should be used in classes. But only periodically, alternating between playing with and without him.

You can’t constantly practice with a metronome unless you want to dry yourself out as a musician and turn into a jukebox that, without thinking, plucks the right string at the right moment or presses the right key.

The metronome is a test of your sense of rhythm, but should not replace it. If you start playing a piece at one tempo and end at another and don’t notice it, that’s bad! This is where a metronome will help you track any deviations that arise and understand your relationship with the metro rhythm.

We must remember that there are people of different psychological makeup. For example:

• Cholerics often gradually speed up the tempo of play, starting to play a piece at one tempo and finishing it at a faster one.
• Phlegmatic people, on the contrary, tend to gradually slow down the tempo of their playing towards the end of the piece.

You must find out your peculiar sense of tempo and meter and be able to control the process of playing, restraining or pushing yourself.

But the metronome shouldn't be a crutch you're afraid to break away from!

Here, in fact, are all the rules for competently working with a metronome.

Each of us has an innate natural sense of rhythm; it must be properly developed and not replaced with a metronome. Therefore, use the metronomo wisely - to your benefit.

If you want to turn into a jukebox, cutting off music’s beautiful wings in the “Procrustean bed” of mechanicalness and soulless metro-rhythmic monotony of performance - continue practicing with a metronome, and as much as possible!

Still, I wish you to become real subtle, deep and meaningful musicians, capable of conveying with their music the strongest feelings and subtlest movements of the soul! Therefore, think, listen, learn, observe, compare and adopt only the best. And don’t listen to the popular advice of music “well-wishers”!

Vyacheslav Shuvalov

Of course, a sense of rhythm is one of the basic qualities of a good guitarist, but not the only one. He also needs a good guitar - not necessarily an expensive one, but one that will definitely help the guitarist and not hinder him. You can find such a guitar even among inexpensive instruments, the main thing is to know.

It is known that harmonious musical sound requires two main components: sound and rhythm. Without this, any sounds produced by all instruments will be completely unpleasant to the ear: this is approximately what an orchestra sounds like when the musicians tune their instruments before starting to perform.

Anyone who has studied at least a little musical literacy knows that notes, by their location on the staff, indicate the pitch, and by their image, the duration of the sound. The rhythm is set at the very beginning of the work, and then it is divided into measures of appropriate duration, like poetry into stanzas. Appropriate signs are also used to indicate pauses, but the counting is always carried out within the specified size.

Music did not immediately begin to be recorded with notes. In its modern form, musical notation developed approximately in the 17th century. It was a time of flowering of musical art and the emergence of famous composers who wrote works that still evoke incredible emotions in listeners to this day. But in order to compose, let alone perform, music, you must have a very precise sense of rhythm. Therefore, the invention of the metronome remained a matter of time, and very soon it was invented, taking the clock mechanism as a basis. This device made it possible to count the rhythm at any tempo.

What is a classic mechanical metronome?

A metronome in its classic form is a wooden pyramidal case with an open front part on which a scale is depicted. The mechanism is spring-loaded, like a watch. The pendulum has a movable weight, which is installed on the required section of the scale. The higher the weight, the lower the vibration frequency. In the notes of musical works you can find designations like “note designation” = 100 MM. This means that the given tempo is one hundred eighths per minute, and “MM” is the Mälzel metronome, where the corresponding division is present.

A metronome is an individual device. Most often it is used to develop a sense of rhythm during musical exercises by beginning musicians, but experienced musicians do not neglect practicing with it. Analogues of a metronome during performances can be considered a drum in an orchestra, a bandmaster in a choir, a conductor and a drummer in a group. But these are all people, not machines, so they can make mistakes, even if only a little.

So who invented the metronome?

It is believed that the inventor of the metronome is Johann Nepomuk Maelzel, a German pianist and mechanic. Some argue that the metronome was allegedly invented for Beethoven, who was losing his hearing at that time. In fact, everything was somewhat different. Mälzel was indeed very friendly with Beethoven, but he made for him not a metronome, but a special ear tube. He also invented a mechanical organ - the panharmonicon. In fact, it was the progenitor of modern synthesizers, since it was able to imitate the sounds of almost all orchestral instruments, but operated with the help of air bellows. This instrument created such a sensation that many famous composers wrote works for it. Beethoven, for example, specially wrote the work “Wellington’s Battle of Vittoria” for panharmonicon.

As for the metronome, the famous mechanic received a patent for it in 1816. It is believed that he worked on and made adjustments to the idea of ​​Stekel, who invented the musical chronometer. But other sources claim that Maelzel simply “stole” the idea from his unlucky rival, Dietrich Nikolaus Wenkel, who was in no hurry to patent his invention.

Winkel was then living in Amsterdam and experimenting with pendulums. It was a time of craze for watches and clock mechanisms. And the creation of a metronome for musicians was puzzled by many mechanics who were secretly competing for the palm in the invention.

One day, a mechanic placed two weights on the pendulum drive - a fixed one and a retractable one, on opposite sides of the axis - and found that it perfectly kept the tempo even for the slow classical works that at that time formed the basis of European classical music. He made the first working model, and thus earned the palm. But, not bothering with the issue of officially registering his idea with a patent, and being a very modest person, he remained practically in obscurity. Then, for some reason, Winkel demonstrated his discovery to his competitor Maelzel, and he did not fail to use the interesting principle for his own development. The invention has since been attributed to him, and the device was even called “Mälzel’s metronome.” Although, the truth is also that it was he who brought this device to perfection.

Production of metronomes

Since the device was quite expensive, few people used it at first, so mass production was not established immediately. But time puts everything in its place. In 1895, a certain Gustav Wittner began producing mechanical metronomes, founding a small enterprise, which already acquired industrial status under his son Rudolf. The first models were called "MAELZEL" after the inventor. Later, the company began producing “TAKTELL” metronomes, which turned out to be so perfect and high quality that their name almost completely replaced the name “metronome”, becoming a household name. Today, WITTNER is the world's most famous manufacturer of metronomes.

Mechanical metronomes were used for a very long time, until they were replaced by electronic devices. And, although the mechanics will forever remain classics, modern compact instruments are so convenient that they can easily be placed in a case for any instrument. In addition, metronomes are usually combined with tuning forks and tuners in one instrument for tuning specific instruments. Even more: when counting the rhythm, they can make several types of sounds - for example, not only knocking, but also clicking and squeaking. The most sophisticated electronic metronome designed for drummers. After all, drummers play with all 4 limbs, so each of them needs to count its own rhythm. Such a metronome allows you not only to set the rhythm for each limb, but also remembers the rhythms of various compositions.