As a musician, it is important to have a metronome and tuner. These tools serve as a guide to improve and make sure the quality of your musicianship is in check. I probably use my metronome more then I did when I was learning flute.
Some might be thinking, what is a metronome? Or a tuner? A metronome is a device that sounds and usually shows the steady beat. For example, the seconds arm on an analog clock clicks around to make a full circle every sixty seconds or sixty beats per minute (bpm). With a metronome you can change the speed of bpm’s to match how fast or slow you should be playing. A tuner is a frequency meter to help you center each pitch you play by showing you how high above or below that center you are. Today I will give some options from the internet, for your phone, or the old school physical device.
From the Internet
I wanted to include options from the internet because when it comes to metronomes, there is a plethora of FREE options. I used to have students (who didn’t want to fork money into something cheap) to a site called metronomeonline.com, but now I just tell them to use the one on bing (NOT google). You can quickly type in your speed, set which beats you want strong and weak, and set number of beats per measure, and it displays the beats as well as sounds it. Just make sure that it cycles through once before trying to play.
Tuner options on the internet are a little more selective, which makes sense since you need a pick-up mic to catch your sound. However, there is one option that serves as an alternative (and in some ways a better alternative), and that is using YouTube as a drone device. Oh the power of YouTube; all you need to do is type which pitch you want the video to play (i.e. “f drone”) and there will be a video that plays that pitch for several minutes. I love using this as a listening tool and matching the pitch given in the video. In a way it teaches you to use your ear and not a device.
For Your Phone
Everyone seems to have a smartphone these days, even elementary students. Most people seem like they can’t even leave the house without them, so why not put metronome and tuner apps on a device you’re never going to forget. Better yet, why not get your metronome and tuner on one app. Que the TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome App by TonalEnergy, Inc. For only $3.99 you can get this asthetically pleasing app that has a metronome that has the same features as the bing app, except you can tap the speed instead of typing it out, and more. You can set what not gets the beat, what meter you want to be in, and also subdivisions. The beginning player might not understand every feature at first, but it has all the features every musician wants.
When it comes to the tuner, it also shines. The tuner device shows up as a target. The better in tune you play, the closer to the center it is; and when you’re in tune, a green smiley face shows up in the center. It also has a drone set up that shows not only the drone played, but how you match up with it. But it also has so much more. The TonalEnergy app is a well worth investment. If you’re interested in this product, you can purchase the app here.
A Physical Device
Some people, like me, are a little old school. I use the KORG TM-60 Metronome/Tuner. It has all the features that I explained with TonalEnergy, except the asthetic part. Instead of colors, it just has a meter with an arm showing where you’re at and three small LCD lights at the top to show whether you’re to high or low or center. The arm also serves as the metronome by swiping back and forth. It has a couple of extra features like a backlight, microphone input, and an auxillary input. This is the most expensive item I’ve listed (roughly $30), but it does the job well and it will not eat your phone battery, as it runs on 2 AAA batteries that are included with the purchase. If you’re interested in purchasing one, you can find one here.
All in all, the choice is yours. These are just the ones I’ve gotten the best use out of from the small percentage that I have tried. If you have a tuner or metronome you prefer, feel free to let me know in the comments.
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