These Metronome Hacks Will Make You a Shinobue Super Star!
In the last newsletter, I discussed why many people are missing out on the incredible benefits of using a metronome. I also introduced you to my favorite metronome app, Soundbrenner, which is available for free on both iOS and Android. Today, I’m excited to share some fantastic metronome hacks that can make a real difference for you! Let’s dive in!
**Problem:** You don't know which number you should put in for the song you are practicing.
Hack: Use the "Tap" feature!
For example, if you are practicing Naruto's "Hokage Funeral":
Open the Soundbrenner app and select “Metronome” at the bottom of the screen.
Play the audio track of “Hokage Funeral”, such as this one.
Start tapping the “Tap” button (located at the bottom right) to the beat of the track.
The app will produce a tapping sound. It might not seem perfectly in sync, but ignore that and continue tapping along with the beat of the track.
After about 10 seconds, stop tapping. Voila! Soundbrenner has calculated the beats per minute (BPM) for “Hokage Funeral.” (When I did this, it was approximately 70 BPM. That means, the target BPM for this song is 70.)
**Problem:** You struggle with counting rhythm accurately.
Hack: Use the "Time Signature" and distinguish the first click sound at the beginning of each measure!
Upon reviewing the sheet music for "Hokage Funeral" (available for free on my website, saitomusic.com/free), you will notice that the song is written in a 4/4 time signature.
Now, go to the Soundbrenner app, click "Metronome" at the bottom, and find the time signature button below the Soundbrenner icon. Choose 4/4 if it's not yet set to it.
Next, look at the four "hamburger" icons. Touch the far left hamburger so that the meat and bottom bun are highlighted. The other hamburgers will only have the bottom bun highlighted.
Press the "Play" button located above the home icon. You will notice that the metronome's clicking sound becomes higher on every fourth beat.
Now, when you play "Naruto Funeral" (or any song of your choice), match the first note of each measure to that higher pitch.
Why is this helpful?
If you miscount, the first note of the next measure won't align with the higher pitch. You may not realize that you've miscounted, but the metronome will alert you!
**Problem** You can't play the song as fast as you want to because you keep on stumbling.
Hack: Increase the number by one every day!
I used this very hack to learn "Gurenge" from Demon Slayer! I just uploaded a short video. Please check it out!
As you know, this song has super fast fingering. It took me months to learn this song!
Initially, I struggled to play this song quickly, so I began practicing it daily with my metronome. Here is how I did it.
Using hack #1 (tap feature), I determined that my goal number was 130 beats per minute for this song.
The fastest I could play without stumbling was 100.
Every day, I increased 1 number of the metronome.
As a musician, I've used this technique many times, and it usually unfolds like this:
"Going from 100 to 101 didn't feel any different. The next day, I tried it at 102, and that felt the same as well. Then, on the following day, I practiced at 103. I noticed some areas were a bit shaky, but since the increase was small, it wasn't a big deal. I focused on those parts and was able to play comfortably at 103. The next day, I moved on to 104. Again, I practiced the shaky spots, but it was not difficult to progress to 104 since it was only a slight increase in speed."
I continued practicing daily, developing my muscle memory. On some days, I could skip more than one number, as my progress accumulated. Other days, I needed to lower the numbers to focus on particularly tricky phrases. Overall, I was able to reach my target in a month or two without overwhelming myself!
Since the change is so subtle, you might not even notice that you are playing faster than you did the previous day.
It's almost like tricking yourself!
This is a common technique many musicians use—I learned it when I was a 10-year-old pianist. Try these helpful hacks, and before you know it, you’ll have an impressive selection of songs in your shinobue repertoire! ❤️