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How do you practice irregular rhythms (for example 7/8) and constantly changing meters (between 3/4 and 5/8, say) at fast tempos with a metronome?

Anyone? I have heard about metronomes that help you do this but I'm not sure if I should buy another metronome just for this purpose...

If I'm understanding your question correctly, keep the 8th note constant between the time signatures. Any metronome can do this.

I don't know of any metronomes that will actually change tempos, but some metronomes can be programmed for less common rhythms. Again, I don't know of any that can be programmed to beat to multiple rhythms within a given piece.

Those that can be programmed can simply be commanded to give a special sound on the first beat of the bar, so if you set it for 7/8 rhythm, then every 7th beat there will be a different sound to indicate the first beat of the bar.

Nor do I know of any metronome that can be programmed to accept constantly changing rhythms. However, your basic metronome can be used for irregular rhythms since the beats themselves will occur at regular intervals; it's just up to you to do the counting.

There are metronomes that can be programmed for polyrhythms; perhaps that is what you are thinking of. They can be programmed, for example, to "click" three against four, or four against six - any number of combinations of polyrhythms, but only two different rhythms at a time. If set for three against four, for example, the three beats per bar will have a different sound from the four beats per bar and each first beat of the bar will coincide.

Dr Beat DB-90 seems to be one of the more complex metronomes available, but I would never buy one for the few times that my basic metronome doesn't give me all that I need.

Click here : DrBeat DB-90 Their on-line description is not clear to me. For example, what does this mean : "to instantly create a variety of beats by adjusting the levels of five different note values"?

Regards,

Not too difficult I think, wouldn't you just count the eighth notes?
3/4 is six eighths and 5/8 are five. (12345612345) Just pay attention and put a bit more emphasis on where beat number one falls. Practice the feel of the meter change slowly at first - once you have the feel of it, progressively speed it up.
Forget the metronome - it wont help in this matter.

The way I count fast moving music in 1/8 notes is I set the beat up as a "ti" and it will not matter if the time signature changes frequently as long as 1/8 notes are the beat. If they change between 1/8 notes and 1/4 notes you will have to implement "TA" in those places. There is no need to count numberically once you get to a comfort level with this system.

ti ti ti ti ti ti.....6/8
> - (accents)

ti ti ti ti ti ti.....3/8
> > (accents)

5/8 3/8 7/8
ti ti ti ti ti - ti ti ti - ti ti ti ti ti ti ti

In 8th note counting:

When 1/4 notes play say "TA" (2/8)

When dotted 1/4 notes play say "TA-i" (3/8)

1/16th notes become "diddle diddle" (4/16 = 1/4)

Dotted 1/16ths become LOONNNG-short (3/16 + 1/16 = 1/4) L-s L-s L-s

I call this "Magic Counting" and we are counting the note values by substituting a word of equal length for the note being played. It is simplistic and does away with the math.

Another option might be to do "ben ritmo" counting after you had it well prepared for the time signatures remaining the same for some distance. In other words, to know how many measures this rhythm or time signature continues for - where it changes - and how it changes.

Steady beats are everything, dispite the number of beats within a measure.

If you have trouble playing while saying ti - TA - TA-i, diddle diddle, LONG-short etc., take it away from the piano and practice saying the counting words for one voice.

FYI:
Counting words for whole notes are "Hold That Whole Note" (4 beats)
Half Notes ard "Half Note" (2 beats)
dotted half notes are "Half Note Dot" (3 beats)

What can you sustain as commonalities when reading a piece of music? Strategies and patterns are important.

This makes rhythms a "dream" to play, and it's fun, I think.

For me, that would just become one of many pieces of electronic equipment that I just haven't got the time (or mental capacity, at my advanced age) to learn how to use. For instance, I have a wristwatch with a built in GPS. I'll take up studying its instruction manual right after I finish with the Kabbalah.

you might look at some of the software (PC or Mac) based metronomes for some advanced features. A number are freeware or very low price shareware solutions. You can certainly program irregular time signatures to help keep the rhythm - I haven't seen any with an ability to alternate time signatures, but you might suggest that as new features if you find a favourite otherwise.

Thanks. I suppose all there is to do is to speed up to a certain point and then get rid of the metronome.