Do I need a metronome to practice playing the piano?

If your teacher has suggested that you purchase a metronome, maybe you are wondering how having one will make you a better piano player.

A metronome is a device that counts time, in beats per minute, which is adjustable depending on the pace of the piece you are trying to play. Metronomes can be either mechanical, working with an adjustable weight, or digital which keeps time with a small battery. Your watch can give you a count of sixty beats per minute, but a metronome can give you virtually any count, fast or slow depending on the needs of the music.

Metronomes can help you to play a particular piece according to the wishes of the composer. Some composers will designate a particular time to a particular note. For example, a notation on the sheet music that says 'quarter note=72', means that the composer meant for you to set your metronome to 72 which will then give you the proper tempo for the music.

Disadvantages to using a metronome

Whether it is digital or mechanical, most metronomes function in the same way. And though a metronome keeps perfect time, there are times when this does not convey the emotion and desired theatricality that a particular piece of music demands. Using a metronome can impart a military-like precision to a piece, but this is hardly desirable in a more lyrical composition where the feel of an ebb and flow better illustrates the meaning behind the music. Understanding this limitation, some composers, Beethoven in particular, added metronome markings to some of his works, but intended the device to be used only through the first few measures.

The use of metronome marks has also been considered a controversial choice. Many times, the composer didn't not require it but the marks have been added to the sheet music by the editor or publisher instead. In their early days, metronomes often differed in their timing, so in the end it is sometimes better to forgo the use of the machine altogether and use one's own best judgement during the performance of the piece. This is why many metronome marks are not followed.

In conclusion:

Though following the markings and indications of metronome notation in music can provide useful guidelines, they should be used with discretion and not as having absolute authority. If you are a beginner, and have difficulty in keeping a steady pace to your music, then at first following the metronome may be helpful. But keep in mind that slavishly following the timing of a metronome can detract from the emotional expression and musicality that music can require.

As a musician, you can try to find an acceptable beat and pace that takes both the wishes of the composer and the needs of your audience into account. Settle on a general range and speed, and take appropriate liberties when you feel the music needs to provide more expression.