Metronome

The speed in BPM has little to do with the time signature as BPM describes the pace and not ammount of beats. In any case, yes, actually most allow you to set any value. By Boss tuner allows for any whole number, my software metronome up to two decimals.

yah I think its time for a new metronome. :)

To be honest, there are very few people on this planet who could tell the difference between, say, 106 and 110 bpm just by listening, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Seiko do some inexpensive metronomes - I have their DM-20 professional which can set any time from 30 to 250 bpm, will allow you to count in anything up to 9 beats to the bar and will actually beat triplets and semi-quavers/ 16th notes (for those of you who want to practice tremelo) at those speeds too.

Anyone who can find me a metronome that will count up to 13 beats in the bar will get lots of Brownie Points - I have an exam piece coming up next year which is in 13/8.

Best,

A :-)

Alan: http://sharewareconnection.com/guitar-online-metronome.htm

Alan,
have you looked into the top-end Boss metronomes? BD-60, BD-90? I'm not sure whether they offer what you're looking for, but they sure are versatile looking machines.

It's the difference between mechanical and digital.

I use an old-fashioned metronome with a pendulum for my practice and teaching. The swinging pendulum gives you a visual cue in addition to the click - but it makes it difficult to scale all possible beats. The ones you show are typical of mechanical ones, and probably what Maelzel first marketed.

But my digital tools - drum machine, pedalboard, studio software, and notation programs - support any beat, because they don't have the same mechanical limitation. I tend to not use them, because it takes longer to set up a beat than with a mechanical metronome, where I just move a slide and I'm done.

My notation software even supports fractional beats - I can enter something in 86.4 bpm or 109.3bpm and get an exact result on midi playback. I could probably do the same thing with the studio software - it allows me to find a track position to within 1/1000th of a second, so I could probably clock a clicktrack anyway I wanted it.

One of the schools I teach at outfits the private studios with electric metronomes, these big beefy 1950s radio looking things. There's a rheostat on the front with a time scale, and I can set it in-between markings on the scale, so I can shoot for 102, and probably do anything that divides by the 60hz power signal. I've never checked its accuracy, but I'm guessing it's approximate - that when I set the dial at 200 I might actually be somewhere between 199 and 201.

Matty, what is the brand of metronome you are using? The reason I ask is because I thought the same thing of mine but actually I found a little toggle switch so when it is flipped one way it does larger seperation but when I do it the other it count up or down by one. Actually I think its a button but you get the point.

Geoo

Mine is a Sabine Metrotune MT9000 Tuner-Metronome-Pitch pipe combo. It's a great little unit.

I agree with you Alan, you aren't going to readily tell the difference aurally between 108-110 bpm, but when I'm playing something difficult, I can definately feel a difference when I tick up the metronome a few bpms. That's why I'd like to get something precise.

Thanks,
:) Matt

I can definately feel a difference when I tick up the metronome a few bpms. That's why I'd like to get something precise.

Sounds like a good reason.

I presume the Boss metronomes Greybeard mentioned are happy enough just being thrown in a gig bag, so I think I shall check them out.

Best,

A :-)