How to Play Drums With a Metronome

Lots of drummers call the metronome their "best friend." After all, drummers are in the business of creating good, consistent rhythms, and a metronome is a machine that provides mechanically accurate tempos. It makes perfect sense that a drummer should never be without his metronome, at least until he finds his own ability to hold good tempo throughout a song.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Set up your machine. In the old days, metronomes were pendulum-style mechanical objects. These days they're mostly digital and need power. Have batteries on hand to make sure your metronome doesn't run out of juice.

2. Get close to the metronome. Chances are, in the midst of play, you won't be able to hear the metronome, so you'll have to be able to see it. One way is to tape a metronome onto a tom or drum close to you. If that's not possible, try to attach it somewhere close by (a wall or table). You can also search for larger-screen metronomes that are easier to follow visually.

3. Choose a tempo by using keys and buttons on your digital device. It's best to start slow, so you can make sure you are able to follow along. Then, when you've gotten the drift of that steady left-right motion of the digital pendulum, you can speed up to whatever tempo you like.

4. Use special features to match tempo to genre. Lots of metronomes have extra settings like bossa nova, samba or tango. These can sometimes come in handy for songs that need a jazzed-up tempo.

5. Ask your fellow musicians, especially the bass guitar player, about tempo. Don't just follow the metronome blindly; that's not what it's for. The metronome is a tool used to find a good rhythm for your song and then re-set the machine to comply.