Online metronome

Practicing with a metronome

Begin slower than you think you need to, at a speed where you can play the passage three times without stopping. Then increase it by about four beats per minute and try again. If it falls apart, go back to the last speed that worked. Slow, clean practice leads to fast, accurate playing more reliably than quick, error-filled practice does.

Pieces in 3/4, such as waltzes and minuets, need three beats per bar, and most of the other music you’ll start with is in 4/4. For music in 6/8, choose 6 if you want to feel each eighth note. At faster speeds, many players set it to 2 and focus on the two main beats.

How to play piano with both hands together

Tempo markings

Sheet music often gives the speed as an Italian term rather than a number, and the metronome shows the term for the speed you’ve chosen. Here are the typical ranges, though they vary a bit from book to book.