 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: gregbaker112@gmail.com
Date: 2014-11-12 02:55
I have played clarinet for thirty years, and the whole time I have been told I need to use a metronome when I practice. Nothing new there, but I had meningitis and hydrocephalus as an infant and my right ear is "dead". I guess the medical term is profound hearing loss.
It is one of the things I have dealt with all my life and can hear fine out of the other ear.
Once I was exposed to playing with a metronome, I discovered I could not hear it. This was true of ear training exercises as well. Not sure ho made it through that! There was nothing anyone could do for me. I heard arpeggiated triads, etc. but the overtones seemed like musical background noise! A seventh sound like a second, etc.
I have tried a hearing aid, but the only type available for my condition is basically a radio transmitter. It does not make anything clearer, but simply amplifies everything.
Therefore I have never used a metronome because it is too frustrating. I have tried beep, woodblock, visual pulse, and "wet fart" (an option for the app I have!!). Nothing works. Too frustrating!!
I know I should use it, and it would really help my overall playing. Since I can not hear the metronome, I end up relying on my inner pulse anyway (which may be a little slow due to the brain injury the meningitis caused).
Would cochlear inmplants help?? Any ideas would be helpful. Thanks.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-11-12 03:18
Have you tried the visual element available on the slightly better metronomes.
My old Yamaha model has a quadrant of lights that progress in much the same way as a mechanical metrone arm and an option for the final lamp of the beat to flash a different colour.
I personally find this less intrusive than the physical beep and you can position the metronome so that the visual beat is visible in your field of view. It's rather like watching the conductor's beat out of corner of your eye.
Having said that I don't believe in slavish practise to the metronome, your internal clock is often better.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-11-12 04:32
I agree with Norman to a great extent. Steady (good) rhythm is merely ensuring that the length of sound (or the length between the starts of sounds in the case of shortened notes) is the same from one note of the same length to the next.
Here is one way to look at it. Play a random note at a random quarter note length, stop, wait a moment and see if you can do it again at the same length a second time, then a third. Now just string some of these together......that's good rhythm.
You know, your problem (and the technology that we have now) makes me wonder if we could have a "conductor metronome" (or Application) featuring our favorite conductor beating an actual beat pattern on a small screen. Choosing the desired meter and tempo would give you the appropriate visual.......I think that would be smashing!
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: gregbaker112@gmail.com
Date: 2014-11-12 05:10
Paul, your idea of the virtual conductor combined with the wet fart sound
on my metronome would be genius!! Nothing says musical funny like a
conductor perched upon a podium, his butt to 1000 people letting out one
wet fart after another! 😄
Believe me, anything faster than 120 with the "fartronome" and I check my
drawers!
Greg Baker
gregbaker112@gmail.com
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Author: alanporter
Date: 2014-11-12 07:10
I have never liked a metronome. I simply tap my foot, or my toes inside my shoes, and count the time inside my head.. That is enough. I am deaf, and I don't find any outside mechanical device of any help. Any totally deaf person can play good music. Remember Beethoven ?
tiaroa@shaw.ca
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Author: eac
Date: 2014-11-12 14:29
Body Beat is a metronome that has a clip that vibrates so you can feel the pulse. The clip can be placed where ever it is convenient for the player. My teacher said it wasn't precise enough for her tastes but dancers and other musicians use it. The manual on its' use is rather obtuse but the basic functions aren't too difficult to figure out. You might find one used on that big auction site.
Liz Leckey
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2014-11-12 17:19
If you have a smartphone, most apps not only have an audio, but the option of a visual as well (anything from a blinking light, to the whole screen flashing, to a sweeping needle of some sort, etc.)
Can you put in headphones and place the earbud in your left ear? Would that work?
Also, some apps now have a "vibrate" as well. It'll kill your battery VERY quickly, but the phone will physically vibrate on each pulse. If you decide to try it, I suggest buying a DIRT CHEAP phone off of ebay (couple years old model) and use that ONLY as a metronome. I have a ATT Nokia Lumia 520. It's a 'prepaid' model, around 20 or 30 bucks now cause they've been out for quite a while, and I would have no problem just saying to use it ONLY as a metronome or tuner and charge it up every night. This way your actual phone stays charged.
I think the metronome is great. Realistically, it'll be rare playing with a band or conductor that can maintain that tempo from start to finish, but it helps with subdividing and developing a great sense of rhythm and beats in your head.
For an extra trick, set the metronome to beat only on the downbeat of each bar, or every other bar, or every four bars and REALLY see where your internal tempo is!
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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