Monday, May 2, 2016

Choosing an Appropriate Tempo for Your Metronome


Whether you are focusing on a separated section of music or an whole piece, it is important that you choose a tempo that will help you in learning the music properly. Most students err for attempting to play too fast. As a result, they often disregard parts that are tough and never really learn the music they are trying to play.
Start with a tempo at which you can play your music effortlessly and accurately. It might possibly seem like the tempo is much too slow in the beginning, but by playing the music precisely and staying relaxed while doing so, you are establishing and reinforcing good habits.
In some cases composers will include a metronome marking or number that indicates the beats per minute. For example, the piece might say "quarter note = 100." When you see a marking with a particular number, it does not mean that you should begin practicing the piece at that tempo. Make that tempo your goal, but start your practice at a slower pace.
Composers might also indicate tempos with Italian terms like adagio, andante, moderato, or allegro. Some metronomes feature these terms in addition to the Beats Per Minute (BPM) numbers. However, those tempo ranges are not entirely precise and can be misleading. If the music you are working with is marked "Allegro" and your metronome says that allegro is 120 BPM, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to play the piece at 120.