In trying to learn piano sonatas, I have found the metronome more of a hindrance than a help. There are too many changes in speed, (ritardandos to tempo and double time to tempo). A standard 'tick, tick, tick' just drives me batty and I usually turn it off.

To alleviate this problem I have created a "lifelike" (you'd never guess by my drawing) arm conductor which is mounted on a computerized platform. The arm sways gently and silently to the beat; and when I need to speed up or slow down I can ignore it for a bar or two.OR The computerized version can be programmed bar by bar, to include the nuances in the meter. The motion of the arm can be t- form or back and forth as in traditional conducting styles.

I believe if you looked up at this friendly hand waving the tempo, you could more easily add the dynamics that make the music flow, instead of chopping through it mechanically. Once the beat is established, one usually turns off the metronome. But this could be like a friend sitting on top of the piano appreciating your music and conducting along.
-- dentworth, Feb 23 2005

MetroGnome MetroGnome
A metrognome friend? [DesertFox, Feb 23 2005]

found this on the hb, by Phundug. funny and similar Wavy-Arm_20Fan#1090515600+
[dentworth, Feb 23 2005]

Tempo Rubato http://www.keyboard...dArticle/Page2.html
An explanation of "robbed time." [bristolz, Feb 23 2005]

you're fast DF, but does your gnome tick tick? is it programmable? I have found programmable metronomes on google but they still tick tick.
-- dentworth, Feb 23 2005


FAST!<<<<<<<<<<

Oh, and I voted. +
-- DesertFox, Feb 23 2005


//The arm sways gently and silently to the beat//, Can there be a cowbell attachment on the one end and a frilly lace, open-breast shirt on the other with lots of chest hair sticking out?
-- mensmaximus, Feb 23 2005


Cool, how about one for headbangers, like a bobble head figure that nods in time to the music?
-- jaksplat, Feb 23 2005


[Jaksplat] that reminds me of those sound activated flowers. one could almost do this with sound activation, and it would respond to the variations in beat, or would it?

and ya sure, bobble hands- whatever you want.
-- dentworth, Feb 23 2005


For Chopin, you'd probably need two, one for the meter and one for the rubato.

I love your illustration, by the way. It's exactly right.
-- bristolz, Feb 23 2005


thanks [bris], high praise from the master :-)
-- dentworth, Feb 23 2005


Cute! I never use the metronome because the tick tock gets on my last nerve. But I wonder if I'd get any piano playing done with a hand waving at me constantly--I'd probably spend the whole time waving back at it. (+)
-- Machiavelli, Feb 23 2005


The one issue I have with this is that I was taught to only use the metronome for a few seconds prior to playing a piece, to familiarize my tempo memory with the pace, and then to stop the metronome, not allowing it to run as I play.
-- bristolz, Feb 23 2005


And does the arm rap the wand across the knuckles when you make a mistake?
-- Ling, Feb 24 2005


[Bris] I edited the text to cover that, but I tend to slow down at harder parts. A constant metronome makes me stop and work on the harder parts rather than gloss over them badly.
-- dentworth, Jul 19 2005



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