Resisting the "Iron Maiden"

[stevedenver]

I use a metronome, daily. It has really helped with banjo rolls, and, generally gaining accuracy and speed.

Simply, its a discipline of listening.
There are days, often caffeinated, that slowing to the click is a real effort. And that, is, the value.
Focus.

[Richard Mott]

The problem I have practicing with a metronome is it slows down on the easy part and speeds up on the hard parts.

That is actually hilarious!!! I’ve noticed the same thing playing with bands.

[Zac Hilbert]

A couple metronome tips that have helped me quite a bit in the last few months:

Practice at slow, medium and fast tempos. Say you are comfortable with a passage or tune at 80 clicks but want to get it up to 120, practice with the metronome set to 80 and work progressively in both directions--e.g. 80, 90, 70, 100, 60, 120. Working at 60 bpm is just as important 100 if you want to get to 120.

For duple metered music (much bluegrass, reels, fiddle tunes) Learn to hear the metronome as beats 2 and 4 instead of 1 and 3. Or if you are doing clicks on all four beats in common time, hear the click as the and of each beat. I find this really helps with developing your feel alongside tempo and rhythmic accuracy.

[Mark Gunter]

I thought the iron maiden is a torture and execution device, consisting of an iron cabinet with a hinged front and spike-covered interior, sufficiently tall to enclose a human being.

Quite right. Well, that and some sort of a band from years past, heavy metal, I think. Somehow, they've gotten her confused with the Evil Gnome.

[mbruno]

There's no reason not to use a metronome. Aside from the free apps on your phone, simply search "Online Metronome" and you'll get a simple no frills metronome from Google.

One thing I like to do with the metronome is take beats out. Rather than getting a click on 1 2 3 4, remove a beat (like 2) and see if you keep time. Remove everything but the 1 and see if you keep time etc. That really helps to internalize the beat IMO. For some of it, you'd need a metronome fancy enough to cut a beat (i.e. removing beat 2 only) but others you just need to change how to count (i.e. removing all beats but the 1).

[Charlie Bernstein]

The "Iron Maiden" is the term I ascribe to the common metronome.

It's completely without feelings, deadly accurate and is always willing to point out your deficiencies. Still, its the best device I've found for getting my timing a bit better when it slips, even after all these years of playing.

Most people will resist it when I suggest just a few minutes a day of practice with it and I just don't know why. . . .

Here's why: Because the dern things keep speeding up and slowing down on me! It's easier to just follow what the other players are doing.

I confess that I do practice with a 'nome sometimes. But I hate it, hate it, hate it!

[ABrown]

I really enjoy practicing with the strum machine website. Not as harsh as a lone metronome but it gets you familiar playing with steady perfect rhythm

[David Lewis]

For all the fans of bill and Ted ‘s excellent adventure

Inquisitor: take them to the iron maiden

Bill and Ted : Excellent!

Inquisitor: kill them

Bill and Ted: bogus!