1,000 Days of Piano - Day 71: Metronome

Any piano teacher will encourage practice with the dreaded metronome. The infernal tick-tick-tick inspires countless pianists to quoth, “Nevermore,” even if they have never read any Poe. Yet the metronome is an invaluable tool for practice. The big black box I’ve had since the last quarter of the last century has been my faithful companion through preparations for recitals and competitions, and it stands by me even now through innumerable lessons and practice sessions. Even as a complementary technique to STOP-PREPARE, it is effective, whether set to a slow tempo or concert tempo.
My latest idea for the metronome is to use the app on my phone. It has the ability to give a different tone for the first beat of the measure. I can use this to practice playing through pieces—staying with the beat without stopping to correct mistakes. Practicing this way helps smooth out the wrinkles in a piece. I can’t wait to use this practice technique on other pieces I’m polishing!