When we think of exciting EdTech tools, our minds often turn to the latest device, technology, recording, notating, or video conferencing software. Perhaps the last tool we might think of would be the humble metronome. Steady, repetitive, producing that precise, possibly annoying click that instantly conjures up memories of practicing our instrument or completing a teacher’s assignment, the metronome appears at first glance to be the exact opposite of innovative. Important, necessary, sure. But not exactly exciting.
Enter Metronome Online, a web browser-based metronome that is also available as an app. A metronome that is more than a metronome. Its basic features are free to use, and there is also a paid version with more advanced features. Its aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly interface almost immediately creates an atmosphere of calm and focus, and the metronome itself is extremely easy to use. With one click of the mouse, the tempo is selected and the metronome starts its pleasing yet clear click. If you want to customize the time signature, adjust the tempo manually through tapping, adjust the volume, or even change it’s the pitch of the click or the color of its interface, that is also only one click away.
However, this is just scratching the surface of its powers. Each tempo is indicated by both its metronome marking and tempo indications as they would appear on a musical score (for example, the metronome marking 92 is also listed on the metronome as “Andante”). The metronome also tracks the amount of time spent using it, and the user can set practice goals and daily progress can be compared in different time increments (daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly). Teachers can also create lesson plans for their students, and the program includes several detailed lesson plan templates.
With the paid version (currently priced at $8.99 per month), teachers can also (in addition to the features of the basic version) create and track individual and group goals, tasks, and monitor progress for an unlimited number of students. However, Metronome Online has recently made the decision to offer full access to the paid version at no cost to teachers. As they state here on their website, “At this difficult stay-at-home period for musicians, we offer all teachers that sign up for a teacher plan full access to the plan at no cost. Indefinitely. Simply sign up for a trial and if you like the plan, send us an email. We will upgrade you to a full membership.”
Further showing their commitment to offering music teachers and learners high quality and easily accessible services, their website and app includes “featured artists” and “articles” sections. The “featured artists” section showcases a wide variety of notable artists and their approaches to practicing with a metronome, while the “articles” section includes numerous articles on various aspects of musicianship, such as how to practice, how to use a metronome, and glimpses into the lives and work of professional musicians.
In short, Metronome Online is a highly accessible, reliable, and inspiring online resource that is so much more than a metronome. Instead, it’s services, features, design, and publications transform what seems at first glance to be a humble metronome into a fully-fledged practicing and musicianship resource for teachers and learners of all ages, levels, and abilities. If you are looking for a metronome that you and your students will actually look forward to using, consider exploring Metronome Online.