A metronome is a mechanical or electronic device that is used to keep a steady beat for musical practice and performance. Metronomes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and the majority of them can be easily adjusted to keep various tempos. Metronomes are not used all musicians, and some believe that their use is incompatible with the emotion or passion that can be expressed through music.
Around a century after Galileo’s pendulum discoveries, the search for a working metronome began. The first attempts at making a metronome were largely unsuccessful. This was due to the absurdly long time it took to maintain even the slowest of tempos, making fast tempos impossible.
Dietrik Winkel was the first to use double-weighted pendulums to make a device that is very similar to modern mechanical metronomes in 1812. Johann Maelzel used these concepts to develop a portable metronome, for which he received a patent in 1816. The Maelzel metronome is the name of his invention. The standard musical notation “MM=40,” which stands for Maelzel Metronome, reflects this.
Originally, metronomes were viewed as a tool for accurately measuring a piece’s tempo, not as a tool to help musicians match a specific tempo. Many people believe that the early metronomes were inaccurate, as evidenced the extremely fast speeds applied to some pieces of the time. This is most famously demonstrated in Beethoven’s works, as he began using the metronome in 1817, the year after its release.
Early metronomes were powered either pushing the pendulum or using a wind-up device to keep it powered for a longer period of time. The tempo was controlled moving a small weight up or down the pendulum. Many metronomes began using electrical pulses to keep time once electrical apparatus became common in the 1930s, often illuminating a small light to provide a visual cue.
Electronic metronomes became more popular in the 1980s, allowing for more features and tempo and sound customization. Most metronomes make a simple “click” sound at each beat, with modern metronomes adding a chiming sound at the beginning of each new measure. The sounds of some electronic metronomes, particularly those found on computers, can be customized.
The metronome is frequently recommended to music students as a useful tool for learning to keep a steady pace. When playing a difficult piece of music, for example, a musician may be tempted to slow down; the metronome will remind him to keep a consistent tempo. However, some musicians find that practicing or playing with a metronome gives their music a “mechanical” feel, leaving little room for “swing” or flexibility. Furthermore, some types of music cannot be played to a metronome’s beat.