How to Use a Metronome for Tenor Saxophone

Novice tenor sax players can't wait until the day they can play like the pros. It doesn't matter how well you can read music or finger the notes, though, if your tempo is unsteady and erratic. You'll find practicing with a metronome to be quite helpful in mastering rhythm and tempo, This inexpensive accessory will mean the difference between playing at a song and nailing it.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Learn to play the piece without the help of a metronome. You have to be comfortable playing the notes in the song before you get wrapped up in perfecting the tempo.

2. Set the metronome at a speed slow enough to allow you to play the song all the way through without making any mistakes.

3. Master the song at that tempo and then crank the metronome up two or three notches so it's a little faster. Continue to play the song at the faster tempo until you are once again able to play it without any mistakes.

4. Speed up the metronome gradually each time through the piece until you reach the actual tempo of the song. Once you're able to play at the correct speed without any mistakes, you're ready to move on to a more challenging piece.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't get frustrated if you get stuck on a particular speed. You may need to take a step back and slow the speed down again.
• You don't need a fancy electronic metronome for practicing on your tenor sax. The old fashioned manual devices work just as well.
• Don't set the metronome on too slow a speed so that it makes the piece of music too hard to play.