Home >> Lessons >> Axe No Questions >> Lesson 01 - Using a Metronome Effectively (Part 1) - Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

3) A metronome will not develop your ear for pitch or your theoretical sensibility.

Make sure that when you practice you know what you’re practicing. Listen to the difference between an Aeolian (natural minor) scale and a Dorian minor. There is no point in developing the speed of the scales if you can’t hear the difference (such as the raised sixth degree in the Dorian) or know their place in a chord progression or solo. Learn your music theory! Getting fast without a solid foundation is a house of cards. You’ll be okay for a while, but you will only get so high in the industry before things don’t go so well.

4) A metronome will not make you into a Rockstar.

Just because you can play at a million miles an hour doesn’t mean everyone wants to hear it, especially in today’s music scene. Playing fast is contextual and a useful tool for musical expression. If you’ve ever heard the expression, “shred is dead,” you know that blazing guitar licks are not as popular in the contemporary music scene. Very few people will buy an album these days that is completely made-up of lightning fast riffs for over forty minutes. People will give it a listen for maybe three or four minutes and then turn it off. Learn how to use speed properly, write appropriate songs with good hooks and people will come back for more.

So what makes a good metronome?

A famous saying to familiarize yourself with is ‘K.I.S.S.’ or Keep It Simple Stupid. As a musician this saying has limitless applications, especially when dealing with buying potentially expensive gear. There are a lot of very popular and very reliable brand names out there that manufacture metronomes. To name a few: Korg, Boss, Yamaha, Seiko, Wittner, and Qwik Time. Ultimately you’ll want to find a metronome that can meet a number of personal requirements. Let’s look at some of the major differences between metronomes.

1) Volume.

This may be the single most important thing to consider when buying a metronome. Imagine all the possible scenarios within which you would use your metronome, such as with your electric or acoustic guitar, un-amplified or amplified, and clean or with distortion. Volume adjustments are nice features but, at least, at its maximum volume you should be able to hear it over your playing.

<<Back to Page 3 | Continue to Page 5>>