I'm a member of a cool rock gospel choir, and I really want to conduct a song, but you can guarantee that if I did, I'd have the whole song gradually speed up until I just get dirty looks from all the sopranos. So I need some kind of device to help me keep time - I think a little pad strapped to the back of my hand which just flicked my hand to a regular beat, that I could speed up or slow down for each song. And it'd have to be skin coloured, obviously - hey I don't want everyone to know about my rhythm deficiency!
-- mac cartel, Dec 05 2000

Wittner MT50W Compact Quartz Metronome http://www.brookmay...p.asp?itemnum=MT50W
"...with light off light only..." [phoenix]

Control = Speed http://www.skiphealy.com/09.htm
Tips on how to acquire tempo [phoenix, Apr 14 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Control = Speed http://www.skiphealy.com/09.htm
Tips on how to acquire tempo [phoenix, Apr 14 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Is there some reason the word 'metronome' doesn't appear here?
-- egnor, Dec 07 2000


Oddly enough, when you're conducting a choir, you can't hear the ticking of a metronome.
-- mac cartel, Dec 07 2000


One of the good things about having a human conductor is the ability of the conductor to adjust for the mood of a particualar phrase or if (<insert deity here> forbid) somebody should mess up. There would have to be tradeoffs, I guess.
-- badoingdoing, Dec 08 2000


Just have a heart pacemaker installed connected via a negative feedback circuit to a microphone. As the music speeds up, your heart slows down and your conducting movements become sluggish.
-- hippo, Dec 08 2000


Most electronic metronomes have a light that flashes with the beat. If you need to change the tempo, listen to a performance you like on headphones and conduct to THAT. Instant Von Karajan! (If someone messes up, I think a good conductor ignores it so as not to confuse the rest of the ensemble.)
-- rmutt, Dec 09 2000


Would it be practical to have an electronic gadget such as a Palm Pilot (I think that's the right name)on hand which might be adapted for providing a sense of rhythm?
-- JoeBader1, Sep 26 2001


what about a wrist-watch style device which you can set like a metronome, and it gives you small shocks or vibrations or something on the beats?
-- professorfrink, Apr 13 2002


Metronomes are not normally used during performance or even practice but before (at least this is as I was taught).  The idea is that you listen to the metronome for a few seconds to get accustomed to the given tempo and then, during performance, you count the meter in your head. One and uh two and uh three and uh . . . (triplet).  You might be surprised how effective and accurate this is, given a little practice.
-- bristolz, Apr 13 2002


mac cartel, wherever you may be - Seems kind of hard to screw that *church choir conductor's cross pattern* up.
-- thumbwax, Nov 12 2002


I think that the watch idea is a bit off. I mean, do you really want to get schocked 120 times in a minute? not really.
-- Seafris, Mar 12 2003



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