This isn't really on technique- but I just wondered what you all would recommend as far as metronomes go. Mine has died this last week, and I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I want another one! (I always used to hate the thing.) I am now going to look at vandaking.com and just wondered if you all had shopped there. I want to get a metronome without a strong beat weak beat. Those are kind of annoying for certain areas. Especially when I use them for my students. Any help is great, Thanks!
just bought one Wittner Taktell Picollo Metronome It's maroon color. I will have received it on ebay. I will have to wait still in order to by an mp3 recorder.
Boss DB-90 Talking Metronome. It counts all the odd meters, accents various beats, counts triplets, eighths, sixteenth notes etc... and it has a voice that drives your animals wild! The voice is optional of course.
lol- my cat hates me already for the music I make. Poor thing wouldn't be able to take that metronome. haha.
In case anyone else likes the mechanical wind-up metronomes, you can find them at antique shops (or ebay at your own risk). That's where I found mine. It's the typical square pyramidal shape, made of wood by Seth Thomas, and has a loud tick tock, unlike my electronic Boss TU-80 which I can barely hear. Some of the old clock manufacturers made beautiful metronomes. I picked mine up for $45. With this economy, you can find one cheaper. Test it at the shop making sure that it winds up all the way, is loud, plays smoothly for several minutes, has a cover with latch intact, and can restarts fine. You never have to worry about batteries.
I am really enjoying my metronome. Especially for my students. They don't have to wait for the strong beat anymore.
I still use my old Franz Model LM-FB-4 electric metronome. You can have the audible click with the flashing light on the top, or just the light signal alone. For a very long time in history, Franz made terrific metronomes. When digitals started appearing, they briefly offered a few digital models, but then left the metronome business. I'll have to get a digital someday, but not until the Franz dies (that is, when it no longer has a pulse :lol. David
I use the Wittner MT-40 digital metronome. Pretty standard stuff, nothing too fancy.... I actually have three because I lost one under the organ pedals for several months and another one disappeared somewhere in my car. I used an old metronome with a weight on it for a while, but then when my niece was two or three she got ahold of it and hid the weight somewhere and we never found it. I've gone digital ever since.
