The Metronome Page
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This is an environment-friendly metronome!
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Who invented the metronome?
The first Metronome was invented by Étienne Loulié back in 1696! (Yes, that is not a typo: 1696!). His device was rather tall: 2 meters high (almost 7 feet).
A number of mechanical improvements that lead to the modern (spring-operated) metronome have been carried out by Ditrich Nikolaus Winkel (1780-1826) and Johann Nepomuk Maelzel (1772-1832). Both men had an argument over who of the two was the real inventor of this device. It's sure that the more commercial Maelzel made the metronome available to the larger public. Hence it's his name that shows up in the famous tempo signs: MM=120, the MM stands for Maelzel's Metronome!
Before the metronome came into use, composers indicated the tempo of a piece of music with words like: Andante, Allegro, Vivace, Fast, Slow, Medium Swing etc., but all these lack a precise meaning. Composers who insisted on their music being performed in exactly the right tempo welcomed the metronome because now they could give an exact number of beats per minute (BPM). They played their own music, checked the tempo against the metronome, read the marking and put that marking above the written music so that everybody knew what they want. This function is still an important one and especially on the above mentioned metronomes there is a handy "tap" function which allows to find the tempo you hit the button.
What other use is there for the metronome?
The Tama and the Dr. Boss have the possibility to store some tempi (that is plural for tempo -some people write tempos- being an italian word, the first form is correct) which can come in handy on stage if you need to look up the correct tempo for the next piece you're going to play.
If you need the metronome to keep a steady tempo on stage, that is not a very good idea! Keeping tempo is not the function of the drummer, keeping tempo is everybodies (in the group/band/orchestra that is) responsibility. And keeping the tempo exactly at the same pace for the length of piece isn't not interesting either! It's very boring if there are no minor variations in tempo. It keeps the music alive if the tempo changes slightly. So, my advice in this matter: Use it to select the tempo, switch it off and start playing.
Off-stage there are some other things you could do. Both Tama and Dr. Boss allow the setting of some subdivisions of the beat: double, triple and quadruple. But again, if you need a metronome to find out the most elemental stuff there is with regard to rhythm and tempo, you maybe shouldn't play an instrument at all!
In the last 30 years I have never met anyone who developed a sense of time or rhythm or beat or subdivision by listening to a metronome! Being able to keep strict tempo (with the aforementioned slight variations) is a matter of being able to listen to yourself and being able to note unwanted variations in tempo and being able to correct those variations.
You can use the metronome as a device that helps you to reach a certain point of progress within some time: play some stuff, note the tempo, set it to a faster tempo and try again without getting to tense or sounding bad. By doing so, you should develop some speed with the help of the metronome. But remember: that same gain in speed can be developed without a metronome.
Especially the DB-88 has some interesting "looping" possibilities. First, it has the option to really program odd time signatures or subdivision; second, it can be programmed to play all its memorized rhythms in sequence. This is the first metronome that I was able to program Don Ellis famous "Bulgarion Bulge" into. (Actually, it was written by Milcho Leviev and played by the Don Ellis Big Band. This number is so special because its written in 33/8 - and it is NOT 3 times 11/8!)
Other interesting rhythmic changes or Metric Modulations can be easily programmed for the DB-88. Check out my Polyrhythm Page
One other useful excercise is to have the metronome beat out regular quarter notes at 80 BPM. Set no accent and no other subdivision. Now tell yourself that every click you hear is a click on the THIRD note of every beat subdivided in three. So the real pulse is hidden. Now start to play some exercises and keep yourself together with the metronome! Or have it played the off-beat sixteenth notes at +100 BPM, tell yourself that what you hear now are the "2" and "4" of a real up tempo piece and try to join the device!