Practicing with a metronome will help you maintain a steady tempo and precise rhythm, much like a ruler helps an artist draw straight lines. Just as artists erase their guidelines for a clean final drawing, you’ll eventually want to perform your piece without the metronome.

If you’re ready to follow this advice but don’t know where to start, this article is for you!

1. Set a Tempo

The first step is to set your metronome at the tempo (or speed) you want to play.

You’ll have to choose a number corresponding to the number of beats per minute (BPM) your metronome will click at. The higher the BPM number, the faster the metronome will click.

When practicing a new piece of music, start slow and gradually increase the speed as you get more and more competent.

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If you need help improving your practice routine, check out this course from Music Matters. It will give you the tools to get the most out of your practice sessions and improve your playing quicker.

IMPROVE YOUR PRACTICE

2. Find Your Goal Tempo

Before you decide what tempo you’ll practice at, it’s a good idea to get a sense of how fast the music should be played in a performance.

Your music should include a tempo marking — whether it’s a specific BPM or a descriptive word that encompasses a range of BPM.

Some tempo markings will include both!

Here are some common tempo descriptions and their BPMs:

• Larghissimo — extremely slow (< 24 BPM)
• Grave — very slow, solemnly (25–45 BPM)
• Largo — broadly (40–60 BPM)
• Lento — slowly (45–60 BPM)
• Adagio — slowly, with great expression (66–76 BPM)
• Andante — at a walking pace (76–108 BPM)
• Andantino — slightly faster than andante (80–108 BPM)
• Moderato — at a moderate speed (98–112 BPM)
• Allegro — fast, quickly, and bright (120–156 BPM)
• Vivace — lively and fast (156–176 BPM)
• Presto — very, very fast (168–200 BPM)

3. It’s Okay (Even Recommended!) to Start Slow

Remember that the written tempo is the goal, but you do not have to be able to play at this speed right away!

If you are comfortable playing at the written speed, go for it! However, if the music is really fast, it’s recommended to start at a slower tempo.

Lining up your notes and rhythms with the metronome at a slower speed is way more helpful than playing at full speed right away. As you get comfortable, you can gradually increase the tempo to the written speed.

4. Select How Many Beats (Optional)

Some metronomes will allow you to choose how many beats are in a measure, so it can help you keep track of each measure.

How many beats you set the metronome to will depend on the time signature of the piece.

If your piece is in 4/4, you can set the metronome at four beats. It can even emphasize the first of every four beats. This way, you can keep track of the beginnings of each measure as you’re playing.

Next: Read Our Post on the 10 Most Important Traits of Good Musicians.

5. Feel the Beat

Before you start playing, it’s important to take some time to feel the beat.

Listen to a few metronome clicks, and maybe even tap along to the metronome with your hands or feet.

Internalizing the pulse will help you stay together with the metronome while you play. It’s also important for when you take the metronome out of the equation later.

6. Line Up Your Rhythms

When practicing with a metronome, it’s helpful to divide your music into sections.

The length of a section should depend on how comfortable you are with the music — it could be one phrase or until the next tempo change.

As you play, listen to make sure your beats are always lining up with the metronome. If you get off from the metronome, stop and try the section again.

Make sure you can play each section comfortably with a metronome before bumping up the speed or moving on to the next section.

7. Subdivide

Sometimes, there will be so many small rhythms within a beat that it’s hard to line them up with the normal metronome clicks. In this case, you can subdivide.

Subdivision is the splitting of beats into smaller units. For instance, if you have a bunch of 16th notes to play, you can try setting your metronome to the eighth note rather than the quarter note.

This will double the amount of metronome clicks, giving you more opportunities to check and stay aligned.

Once you can easily play a section with the subdivisions, it should be much easier to go back to playing with the big beats! 

8. Record Yourself

A great tip to make sure you are truly lined up with the metronome is to record yourself playing with the metronome and listen back. This helps you catch details you might miss while focusing on playing.

It’s also useful for checking your timing once you play without the metronome. You can tap along to your recording or use the metronome separately to verify your tempo and rhythms.

If there’s a section that isn’t quite right, practice that section with the metronome some more.

9. Be Patient!

Remember that practicing with a metronome is not a one-and-done deal! It takes repetition to get good at playing along with the metronome, and you have to be patient with gradual tempo increases.

Even once you can play a piece at full tempo without the metronome, you may have to go back and touch up some sections with it once in a while.

Ready to Get Started?

Now that you know how to practice with a metronome, you can get started using our online metronome!

Our metronome includes all the features mentioned in this article, including emphasizing downbeats and subdivisions.

To find out, we asked our audience to share their thoughts on the most important skills or traits for musicians. Here are the common themes.

1. Listening Skills and Having a Good Ear

The most common answer was to develop a good ear and listening skills.

They allow you to connect deeply with the music, understand its intricacies, and communicate effectively with other musicians.

One of the best ways to help get better is by doing ear training exercises. There are multiple ways to train this skill, but a few that I do are:

• Practice identifying notes by ear to improve your pitch recognition skills.
• Listen to intervals and practice naming them to hear harmonies.
• Identify chord types when you hear them (major, minor, diminished, etc).
• Break down songs to understand their structure, chord progressions, and melody lines through analytical listening.

Honing these skills will help you to become a more well-rounded and adaptable musician.

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If you want to improve your ear, I highly recommend checking out Tone Gym. I use it every day to practice my relative pitch and interval recognition.

IMPROVE YOUR EAR

2. Dedication, Discipline, and Commitment to the Craft

Have you ever marveled at musicians who seem almost superhuman in their abilities? Well, behind those scales and solos are tons of time and tough love for practice.

Becoming a great musician isn’t just a walk in the park—it’s more like a marathon. It takes sheer dedication, unwavering discipline, and rock-solid commitment.

Set aside time every day to hone your skills. Remember, the greats played till their fingers bled—not literally, but you get the gist.

Keep a practice schedule as regular as your favorite TV show’s time slot. And stick to it even when the couch looks more appealing than the keyboard.

Set goals. Maybe you’re eyeing that complex Bach fugue or aiming to nail the blues scale at lightning speed. Whatever it is, set a goal for yourself and keep working towards it.

3. Patience and Perseverance

Have you ever wondered how your favorite musicians make it seem so effortless? You should know it’s not just “natural talent.” It’s a result of a lot of patience and perseverance over weeks, months, years, and even decades.

Have you heard of the “10,000-Hour Rule”? It suggests that mastery of a skill requires at least 10,000 hours of practice. Learning an instrument is no exception to this and will require a lot of patience.

• Set realistic goals – Small wins lead to big gains over time.
• Embrace the grind – Each practice session builds your skill.
• Learn from mistakes – Instead of getting frustrated, let errors be your guide.

Remember, whenever you feel like quitting, think about why you started. Your future self will thank you for the time you spent honing your craft today.

So, grab your instrument, and with each note you play, be reminded that patience and perseverance are your keys to getting better at your instrument.

Recommended Course

If you need help improving your practice routine, check out this course from Music Matters. It will give you the tools to get the most out of your practice sessions and improve your playing quicker.

IMPROVE YOUR PRACTICE

4. Knowledge of Music Theory

Although there are a number of famous musicians who can’t read music, at least a basic knowledge of music theory will undoubtedly help you as a musician.

Understanding music theory is like knowing the grammar of a language. It’s all about the rules and tools that help you to communicate your musical ideas clearly.

Have you ever wondered why certain chord progressions just simply sound right? It’s music theory at work!

• Scales & Keys: Know your major and minor scales, as they’re the foundation for most music.
• Chord Progressions: Learn how chords move from one to another to create a flow.
• Harmony & Melody: Understand how these work together for a pleasing sound.
• Rhythm & Time Signatures: Get the timing right, and you’ll have your listeners tapping their feet.

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LEARN MUSIC THEORY

5. Ability to Read Music and Sight Read

Understanding music theory and being able to read music are not the same thing. But, learning to read music, and more specifically, getting good at sight reading, is a really useful skill for musicians to learn.

If you’re at the beginning of your musical journey, you’ve probably picked up a piece of music and felt like it was a secret code or another language – and it is.

But, being able to read music notation is an essential skill for all musicians. It’s the blueprint that guides you on what, how, and when to play.

But what about sight-reading? Sight-reading is reading and performing music at first sight without preparation. It’s a real-time test of your reading proficiency and musicianship.

Here are a few tips to improve these skills:

1. Start Simple: Begin with easy pieces to build confidence.
2. Rhythm First: Work on nailing the rhythm before adding pitch.
3. Daily Practice: Like any skill, the more you practice, the better you get.
4. Use a Metronome: This will help you maintain a steady tempo.
5. Scan Before Playing: Look for key signatures, tempo markings, and tricky sections beforehand.

Remember, patience is key. These skills are a marathon, not a sprint. Every time you decode a new piece, you’re a step closer to becoming a more capable and adaptable musician.

6. Creativity, Imagination, and the Ability to Improvise

Creativity and imagination are essential for transforming simple notes into captivating melodies. It’s what separates the greats from us, mere mortals.

The ability to improvise and spontaneously create music is crucial for musicians, especially in genres like jazz. But it’s important for all musicians, no matter their genre of choice, to practice improvising.

Practicing improvising stretches your imagination and allows you to experiment with sounds and rhythms. You’ll learn more about your instrument and uncover new ways to play it.

To nurture creativity, musicians should explore different genres, collaborate with challenging peers, and listen to diverse musical styles.

By embracing their unique creativity, musicians can push boundaries and create truly memorable performances.

7. Good Timing, Rhythm, and the Ability to Keep Tempo

Back when I first started playing jazz, I used to go to this jam session at a club in London called Charlie Wrights.

I was an 18-year-old fresh-faced student and not very good. But I knew it was important for me, so I would sit in with the band and get absolutely roasted by the other musicians. It was amazing but really hard.

The other musicians didn’t like playing with me, though, as I was terrible at playing in time – a key skill for a double bass player!

The best way to practice your time keeping skill is by using a metronome. Use one EVERY time you practice.

• Practicing scales? Use a metronome.
• Practicing a chord progression? Use a metronome.
• Practicing repertoire? Use a metronome.

It’s essential. You can pick one up from your local music store, but I’ve also got a free online metronome that you can use here​.

8. Flexibility and Adaptability to Different Styles and Genres

I’ve noticed a lot of tribalism in terms of genres in music. People who like classical won’t listen to jazz. People who like heavy metal won’t listen to modern pop.

But, having flexibility and adaptability to different styles and genres is a great skill for musicians to have.

I’d recommend that you listen to different genres regularly. It’ll open up new techniques, new chords, new sounds and help you become more rounded as a musician.

Another good thing is to collaborate with musicians from other genres. Again, you’ll be exposed to a different way of thinking with regards to creating music and you’ll learn loads.

Remember, music is a language, and the more dialects you speak, the more conversations you can join.

9. Humility and the Willingness to Learn and Grow

Ever noticed how the best musicians often seem so down-to-earth? That’s no coincidence. 

Humility is your secret weapon in the music industry. It opens up doors and keeps your mind receptive to new ideas. You might be talented, but there’s always room for improvement.

Some things to strive for in this context are:

• Self-awareness: Understand your strengths and weaknesses.
• Improvement and innovation: Stay abreast of new techniques and styles.
• Collaboration: Work effectively with others, valuing their input.

Ask yourself, are you open to constructive criticism? Do you seek feedback actively? This is what paves the way for growth. Keep in mind, every successful musician was once a beginner.

Remember, you’re never ‘too good’ to learn something new. Let your guard down, embrace the learning curve, and who knows? You just might surprise yourself with how much you can achieve.

10. Ability to Communicate Emotions and Connect with the Audience

Music is more than just playing the right notes in the correct order. At its core, it’s about communicating emotion, and this is what separates the good from the great.

Even if you’re just playing for yourself, imagine you’re performing the piece for an audience. Introduce dynamics, rubato, and soul into the music, and not only will it sound a lot better, but you’ll enjoy playing more!

A quick tip: Practice your performance by recording yourself to watch back later. This helps you see what your audience sees and sharpen your emotional communication skills. Remember, your goal is to make every note you play matter. This deep connection is the hallmark of a truly remarkable musician.