Metronome

[Joe Strummer]

Recently discovered metronomes are good for more than keeping time. They’re a great tool for the final push to get a piece ready for performance. Slow it down until you can get through the whole piece without errors or hesitations. Gradually speed it up to performance tempo.

 

[dgame]

....

Does anyone know of a portable digital metronome that clicks instead of beeps?

I have a Wittner Metronom MT60 and it also comes branded as the Matrix Metronome MR 600. Has a wood block-ish click and a configurable accent ping. The LEDs accurately simulate the pendulum swing.

Not my video:

https://www.amazon.com/MATRIX-MR600-Matrix-Tuner/dp/B0002F6ZJS/

 

[Yukio]

Awesome metronome tunes! I love that you've named your accompanying musician! I think I'll name mine David the 'Nome.

My metronome actually named itself. The brand name printed on the front says, NIKKO. I like it.

 

[Yukio]

I have a Wittner Metronom MT60 and it also comes branded as the Matrix Metronome MR 600. Has a wood block-ish click and a configurable accent ping. The LEDs accurately simulate the pendulum swing.

Not my video:

https://www.amazon.com/MATRIX-MR600-Matrix-Tuner/dp/B0002F6ZJS/

I had a Seiko electronic metronome that was similar to this Witter. I bought it new in around 1985. Unfortunately it died about a year ago. I did an earlier cover of Kiss using the Seiko with it's accent ping feature.

 

[Yukio]

Mine was a Seiko SQM-349. It was great, until it went belly-up; as all electronic things are want to do, sooner or later.

 

[Yukio]

There is a Seiko SQM-349 for sale by a charity shop in the UK for £17. Snap it up if you want one.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25613396...55-0&campid=5338722076&customid=&toolid=10050

 

[SeemingMusic]

This is the one I use. It has more functions I'll ever use, and options to plug in headphones so if you want to record you can rid of the click/beep.

I like that you can turn the volume up on the sub-divided notes in certain sections you find hard, like every eighth note or triplet.

 

[GreatPotoo]

What timing! I just got a new metronome yesterday and was thinking about creating a metronome thread. Oh, uke gods! Always on time.

I needed out and went with this transparent one, so I could admire all the gears and inner workings!

View attachment 155607

The first digital one I got is more portable, but I can't stand the beeping sound. I much rather prefer the good ol' click!

Does anyone know of a portable digital metronome that clicks instead of beeps?

That's gorgeous. Putting it on my list.

 

[dgame]

I also have a Nikko Hi-Mini wind-up metronome. It is similar in size and operation to the Wittner Taktell Super-Mini.

The Nikko Hi-Mini has a case, front cover, and a built-in winding key recessed into the side.

• Small and portable.
• No accents only the main BPM clicks.
• No batteries needed.
• Works best on a level surface.

Not my video and not my pictures:

 

[scrambled_eggs]

Non sequitur, but Agricola means "farmer" in Latin!

 

[quiltingshirley]

I got rid of my metronome after I gifted my piano. Then I took up uke and I find I should have kept it. (I really should have kept it. Just ask my Bass playing husband.)

 

[Olmeck]

I haven’t used or heard a metronome since high school marching band. I wonder if I could find it looking through my old saxophone case. I haven’t needed a metronome yet but I do understand their value. Guess I’ll be on the hunt this weekend!

 

[TimWilson]

Mine was a Seiko SQM-349. It was great, until it went belly-up; as all electronic things are want to do, sooner or later.

View attachment 155815

I was going to ask you about this, Christopher! I've become fascinated by your use of the metronome as a low-budget drum machine! I especially love the variation that "pings" on the 4th beat. Is this the one that's bitten the dust? Do you have a new one in rotation yet?

The reason I ask is that the metronome (metronomes?) in a couple of your "drum machine" videos appear to have a swinging arm, which this one doesn't appear to have.


Drum machine....



And with the "bell" on the 4th beat...



Thanks again!

 

[Yukio]

I still have both of these wind-up metronomes. The white one, a Japanese NIKKO metronome, has the bell feature which can mark measures in 2/2, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8 time signatures. In Eternal Flame, I just counted in the song so the bell would ring on the fourth beat of the measure instead of the first beat. This was to imitate the ring of a triangle on the original Bangles record.

The tan one is a German Whittner. It is a standard clockwork metronome in a plastic housing. No bell. You can barely make out that I had taped red paper "devil horns" on it as a joke at one time.

The one that bit the dust was the Seiko quartz metronome. That one had the cool row of 8 LED lights at the top with an accent ping that functioned like the bell on NIKKO.

All the traditional clockwork metronomes (I have five!) have a swinging pendulum. Only the electronic ones (I had two and both are dead, the Seiko and a BOSS) have no arms (and now no brains, either.)

 

[Yukio]

The video of Kiss by Prince in the darkened room was to show off the LED lights of the Seiko quartz metronome. Yeah, I liked that one. RIP!

 

[Kimosabe]

Yup. Definitely needing this tool today. Working on "De tous biens plaine" (arr. Agricola).

I do NOT sound like this (nor will I because I'm using a different instrument ) but you'll get the idea of the piece:



There's a funky little brief switch to triplets about 3/4 way through. Waiting to do that with my teacher. In the meantime, working to get this timing nailed (plus it wouldn't hurt to get the notes right, too) before next lesson (three weeks... Because reasons). I can do this! Because metronome!

One secret to triplets is just to say the word as three syllables. Tri-pil-let. Say it fast and that’s what a triplet is.

 

[TimWilson]

The white one, a Japanese NIKKO metronome, has the bell feature

Looking at Amazon, it's only the Nikko Plus that has the bell and the only vendor on Amazon won't ship it to me in Hawaii. I checked non-AMZ vendors, and saw the price more than double (to, uhm, probably exactly where it should be LOL ooops).

It happens that this one by Donner has the bell for rather considerably less anyway, so I may go with it.




Admittedly not as cute as Nikko, but especially with the cover on, it really does come to a sharp point, suggesting the name Pointy, in honor of The Point! Or, noting its rather obelisque-y shape, maybe Oblio, ALSO in honor of The Point! And in either case, suggesting a recording "Me And My Arrow" using it as a drum machine, no?

 

[Yukio]

Chris (@hands_on_lanzon) recently did a Radiohead song with his new clear plastic mechanical metronome (pictured earlier in this thread.) It creates an eerie atmosphere as his playing and singing float over the steady clicking of the metronome. I think you will like it:

 

[EDW]

View attachment 155839

This is the one I use. It has more functions I'll ever use, and options to plug in headphones so if you want to record you can rid of the click/beep.

I like that you can turn the volume up on the sub-divided notes in certain sections you find hard, like every eighth note or triplet.

The Dr Beat metronomes are really good. I have a slightly earlier model that is excellent, but generally sits unused. I generally end up using the Tempo app on the phone, which works really well and can do even more. It is really versatile and has lots of great features

The best metronome apps for iOS and Android

Frozen Ape is the developer of Tempo and other apps for the iPhone, iPad and Android.

www.frozenape.com

 

[TaoCat]

My favorite comic concerning metronomes. But I'm easily amused. https://www.gocomics.com/getfuzzy/2012/09/17