A metronome is a device that produces an audible beata click or other

soundat regular intervals that the user can set in beats per minute
(BPM). Musicians use the device to practice playing to a regular pulse.
Metronomes typically include synchronized visual motion (e.g., swinging
pendulum or blinking lights).
A kind of metronome was among the inventions of Andalusian
polymath Abbas ibn Firnas (810887). In 1815 Johann Maelzel patented it
as a tool for musicians, under the title "Instrument/Machine for the
Improvement of all Musical Performance, called Metronome" .[1]
Musicians practice with metronomes to improve their timing, especially
the ability to stick to a tempo. Metronome practice helps internalize a
clear sense of timing and tempo. Composers often use a metronome as a
standard tempo referenceand may play or sing their work to the
metronome to derive beats per minute if they want to indicate that in a
composition.
When interpreting emotion and other qualities in music, performers seldom
play exactly on every beat. Typically, every beat of a musically expressive
performance doesn't align exactly with each click of a metronome.[2][3][4]
[5]
This has led some musicians to criticize use of a metronome,
because metronome time is different from Musical Time.[6] Some go as far
as to suggest that musicians shouldn't use metronomes at all, and have
leveled criticism at metronome markings as well. See Criticism of
metronome use.
Those in favour of metronome use understand this as a criticism of
metronome technique as commonly practiced by musicians, rather than
criticism of the tool as such.[7][8] Their response has been to develop better
methods of metronome technique to address the various issues raised by
the critics. See Metronome Technique. These techniques however aren't
widely known by musicians generally, including many critics of metronome
use.[9] Metronome technique has developed, but the body of published
information is smallso some critics may think that metronome technique
consists only of playing music along with the metronome. In his
book, Metronome Techniques, Frederick Franz maintains that those who
disparage metronomes as "making you mechanical" misunderstand their
proper use.[10]

Contents
[hide]

1Etymology

2History

3Usage
 4Standard appearance

5Types of metronomes

o 5.1Mechanical metronomes

o 5.2Electronic metronomes

o 5.3Software metronomes

5.3.1Metronome apps and click tracks

6Use of the metronome as an instrument

7Views on the metronome

o 7.1Positive view of the metronome

o 7.2Metronome, strict rhythm: modern performance practice

o 7.3Criticism of metronome use

7.3.1Quotations

8Metronome technique

o 8.1Playing "in the pocket"

o 8.2Precision of timing and sensitivity to musical time

o 8.3Musically expressive rhythms

9Alternatives to metronome use

10See also

11References

12External links

Etymology[edit]
The word metronome first appeared in English c. 1815 [11] and is Greek in
origin: metron "measure" and nomos "regulating, law."

History[edit]
A Wittner mechanical wind-up metronome in motion

According to Lynn Townsend White, Jr., the Andalusian inventor, Abbas Ibn
Firnas (810887), made the earliest attempt at creating "some sort of
metronome."[12]
Galileo Galilei first studied and discovered concepts involving
the pendulum in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In 1696, Etienne
Louli first successfully used an adjustable pendulum to make the first
mechanical metronomehowever, his design produced no sound, and did
not have an escapement to keep the pendulum in motion.[13] To get the
correct pulse with this kind of visual devices, the musician watches the
pendulum as if watching a conductor's baton.
The more familiar mechanical musical chronometer was invented
by Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel in Amsterdam in 1814. Through questionable
practice,[14]Johann Maelzel, incorporating Winkel's ideas, added a scale,
called it a metronome and started manufacturing the metronome under his
own name in 1816: "Maelzel's Metronome." The original text of Maelzel's
patent in England (1815) can be downloaded.[1]
Ludwig van Beethoven was maybe the first notable composer to indicate
specific metronome markings in his music. This was done in 1817.[15]

Usage[edit]
Musicians practice playing to metronomes to develop and maintain a
sense of timing and tempo. For example, a musician fighting a tendency to
speed up might play a phrase repeatedly while slightly slowing the BPM
setting each time. Even pieces that do not require a strictly constant
tempo (such as with rubato) sometimes provide a BPM marking to indicate
the general tempo.
Tempo is almost always measured in beats per minute (BPM). A
metronome's tempo typically is adjustable from 40 to 208 BPM. Another
mark that denotes tempo is M.M. (or MM), or Mlzel's Metronome. The
notation M.M. is often followed by a note value and a number that indicates
the tempo, as in {{{1}}}. Specific uses include:

Learning to play tempos and beats consistently

Practising technique (setting the metronome progressively to higher

speeds or to expose slow-downs due to technical challenges)

Click tracks that recording musicians use to help audio-engineers

synchronize audio tracks

Standard appearance[edit]
Metronome makers typically mark the speed adjustment for these common
tempos:

40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 63 66 69 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 100
104 108 112 116 120 126 132 138 144 152 160 168 176 184 192 200
208 [16]

Types of metronomes[edit]
Click track at 120
BPM

MENU

0:00

Problems playing this file?

See media help.

Click track at 50
BPM, subdivided
into sixteenth
notes

MENU

0:00

Problems playing this file?

See media help.

Mechanical metronomes[edit]
A mechanical metronome uses an adjustable weight on the end of an
inverted pendulum rod to control tempo. The weight slides up the
pendulum rod to decrease tempo, or down to increase tempo. (This
mechanism is also called a double-weighted pendulum, because there is a
second, fixed weight on the other side of the pendulum pivot, inside the
metronome case.) The pendulum swings back and forth in tempo, while a
mechanism inside the metronome produces a clicking sound with each
oscillation. Mechanical metronomes don't need a battery, but run from a
spring-wound clock escapement.