The best metronomes: other features to look for The most technologically-advanced models are wearables that resemble smartwatches and offer haptic feedback in the form of pulsed vibrations felt through the wrist, as well as the more conventional audible click or beep. Though we’d also recommend the best guitar tuners for players wanting a more dedicated tool. Some have basic built-in tuners, handy for guitarists, violinists, or anyone whose instrument requires a regular tune-up before practice sessions or performances. They tend to be small enough to be nonchalantly chucked into an instrument case before or after a lesson. These days, the wooden casing is sometimes swapped out for a lighter, plastic equivalent, which can make the unit easier to carry around, but the basic principle remains unchanged.Įlectronic metronomes are battery-powered and much more accurate than their traditional mechanical counterparts, and these days come brimming with additional features. Pendulum metronomes look great on the lid of a grand or upright piano, and have been a standard feature of music rooms since their invention in the early 1800’s. Some models also feature a bell that can be used to indicate the downbeat, the time signature of which can be changed by pulling out a dedicated knob on the side of the unit. The traditional, pyramid-shaped wooden mechanical metronome is usually clockwork, involving a pendulum equipped with a sliding weight that you move up and down to determine the tempo. For this scenario, a hardware metronome is an essential accessory, but they’re also useful in a live band setting for keeping everyone in sync.Īs mentioned above, metronomes fall into two broad categories: mechanical and electronic. If you’re learning or practicing an acoustic instrument, you’ll at some point need to focus on how to play in time, especially if you’re a classical player aiming to take graded exams. Digital pianos also now all feature a built-in metronome as a matter of course, as do the best electronic drum sets. (Image credit: Future) Best metronomes: mechanical vs digital metronomesĭedicated hardware metronomes may be looked on as something of a redundancy to DAW-based musicians, as all computer-based workstations have a built-in metronome of some sort to keep you in time while recording new parts. So here we present our pick of the best metronomes available in 2020… So the best metronomes offer a choice of at least two tick sounds, and some high-end digital metronomes enhance their appeal to traditionalists by using samples of traditional clockwork metronomes for their tick sounds. Many musicians prefer classic, unpitched ticks to the pitched beeps offered by some models, as pitched sounds can interfere with the pitch of the piece you’re playing, especially if you’re particularly pitch-sensitive. How loud and/or annoying is the metronome sound - does it beep or tick? Can you change it to suit the environment? Can it be heard over the sound of your instrument? Literally the heart of every metronome is the sound it makes while ticking. An even better one will allow you to select and even edit your own beat variations and subdivision patterns to suit your playing. The best metronomes are able to handle a variety of different time signatures, placing the downbeat sound correctly after the required number of sub-beats. That’s great if you’re practicing or playing in regular 4/4 time, but what about other time signatures such as 3/4, 12/8 or even 7/4? Mechanical metronomes often use a physical bell, while digital variants will employ an alternative pitched sound or louder tick for the downbeat. Metronomes can indicate the downbeat of each bar by a variation in the tick sound. It then interprets the speed of your taps to the nearest whole bpm value and continues to tick at that set speed. You’ll see this function on many of the best metronomes and it gives you the ability to set the metronome’s tempo by literally tapping a button or pad on the front of the device. This is in keeping with the traditional Italian musical terms for tempo (such as andante, allegro, etc) that you’d find marked on a musical score. Digital metronomes offer the ability to set specific tempo values precisely, while mechanical versions often just provide a set of preset values at selected intervals across the range. Measured in beats per minute (BPM), the range of click speeds you can dial in normally spans a ponderous 30bpm to a frantic 250bpm. Surprisingly, for a device designed to do just one job - to go ‘tick’ at a particular set speed - there are a number of things to look out for when choosing the best metronome for you. MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you.
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