Time, and Your Metronome

Day is breaking over the high desert. Looks to be clear and beautiful.

Now, I received an email the day before yesterday that I’d like to share with you. Take a quick look.

Hi Clayton,

I’m glad you mentioned rhythm in your email. My son has been working on Bach Double’s second violin. He’s been struggling to get the accurate rhythm when he plays duet. Besides practicing his music with the metronome, are there any other way to gain timing accuracy? How can he be accurate when the metronome is off?

Your opinion is greatly appreciated. I do enjoy reading your emails.

Regards,
Celia

No, I didn’t send to you because of the last sentence, though I did decide to leave it in.

OK, so first of all, Celia, I’d like to speak generally. Then I’ll get somewhat specific.

Time is a flow. The flow can be quick and lively, moderate and easy, or intentionally slow and thoughtful – and all points between.

The rhythms of music rest on the flow of time.

So that’s all very well and good. Yet there is a more to it. And this is where we can get more specific.

Playing the violin is somewhat complicated. There can be quite a number of actions going on at the same, or near the same time. This makes it challenging to play all the bits and pieces of the music within a steady flow of time.

So how much is gained by using a metronome, and does it really enable one to sense the flow of time.

I regard the metronome similarly to shoulder rests. One must understand their limitations. A shoulder rest is not the answer to holding the violin, though it can some support, and a metronome is not the answer to developing an inner sense of time.

Metronomes are digital. They give you a tick every so often, yet there is space in between. The flow of time is analogue. It is continuous.

That is what I want to appreciate when I’m playing. I want a sense of FLOW.

Now, it’s clear that Celia’s son is not working with one of my courses. If he were, he would be familiar with my system of counting. What I call ‘verbalizing the beat.’

There are two parts to my system. The first involves gaining the ability to name the beats as you learn the notes and rhythms of a piece. In this first stage, I do not care whether the flow of time is constant.

In stage one, the notes and rhythms come first, yet – and this is important – I do Name each beat as I come to it. Yes, it does make things a little more challenging up front; the payoff is big down the line.

So, in this first stage, when the music gets hard, I slow down. I go as slowly as it takes for me to play the music while verbalizing each and every beat. Correctly.

Once I can DO that, I begin listening to my count in a different way. I begin listening to the Flow of the count. And I begin to demand that my hands keep pace with the flow I’ve set.

In stage two the Count is boss. It drives the hands.

Now, there is a lot more about this and the efficient use of practice time I can’t communicate in an email.

One thing I might recommend, Celia, is that you consider acquiring the Violin Mastery’s Allegro Players program for your son. Though the course is addressed to adult learners, I can guarantee there will be a wealth of time-saving, playing-improving information in it he could benefit from.

I would even suggest taking it to his teacher and asking whether it could be combined to good effect with what they are already doing together. I have a number of folks doing just that.

All the best,

Clayton Haslop

P.S. You know, as with all my monthly courses, you can discontinue them at any time, if you subscribe on a monthly basis. There is so little to be lost, and much to be gained. I’d say a trial month is a ’No Brainer’.