Method of Study question

[tsagari]

Hi to everyone
I do not Know if I should post this question to the teacher's corner but I think the most advance of you might help me.
Here is the situation.
When I am practicing at home (for example a Czerny study)  I use to play the whole piece at a tempo where I can play everything no stop. Usually I set the metronome every 16th or 8th note. After a lot of practice my hands go faster than the methonome and I am not sycronised with the bid so I think that this is an indication that I can increase the speed and practice faster. My teacher however says the contrary, that I should play even slower and I should not increase the speed if I can not be with the bit. Do you agree with this. Why this is happening?
Please help

[faulty_damper]

What's a "bid"?

[tsagari]

Sorry for the English
I mean bit (the sound of the metronome)

[gerry]

Your teacher is correct. The main purpose of using metronome is to train you to be able to stay with the beat that you set whether it's slow or fast. It is a mistake to speed up in the parts you know well? Think of working in future under a conductor's beat or on a film score with a click-track. This is an important a valuable skill--stay with the bit, bin, beat or whatever one calls it.

[tsagari]

Gerry many many thanks  for your answer. I did not question my teacher about this issue  but I could not  understand why, and you gave me  the reason. If you can follow the beat  slow or fast it means that you master the priece completely.
Kisses  Many Thanks

[counterpoint]

It's a question of control. You should be able to control your fingers in every moment, so if you are not able to play exact to the metronome's beats (while you want to!) this shows a lack of control.

Many people here will be surprised by such a statement of me 

I don't like the metronme and I don't like metronomic playing. But while noone would expect, I can play with the metronome, and I do this from time to time to find out the tempo changes in a piece.

There are 2 different ways to play with metronome:

- you play exactly to the beats and play mathematical values of all note durations

this sounds not very musical and I do that only for the fun of showing how one should not play 

- you play almost exactly to the beats, but play with very free rhythm between the beats

this can sound quite musical, however it will  not sound very expressive and personal - just the way, most piano teachers will like it to hear from their students 

[tsagari]

  Hi Counterpoint
You and Gerry clear my mind that going with the beat is a matter of controlling your fingers. I do not like myself the use of the methronome but I think when you fully control your fingers then you can control your sound and this is the first priority of my teacher "to learn to control my sound and do whatever I wish to do" as fas music interpretion is concerned.
Thanks

[dan101]

My only caution, with respect to the metronome, is that it takes quite some time before you get works up to speed. I find, in pieces a least, that isolating the troubled passage and playing bits of it quickly (eventually combining the dissected passage bits) is a good solution as well.

Having said that, running through Czerny studies with a metronome should be done according to your teacher's method. I just hope that ticking doesn't drive you crazy.

[tsagari]

Hi dan10
Thanks for the comments. I am used to work with the metronome and some times I fill I am too dependent on it. I have a difficulty keeping the same tempo through out a piece.
A good day to all of you.

[guendola]

Hi dan10
Thanks for the comments. I am used to work with the metronome and some times I fill I am too dependent on it. I have a difficulty keeping the same tempo through out a piece.
A good day to all of you.

In most classical music, you are not supposed to keep a perfectly constant tempo. Depending on the style, up to 500% or more tempo variation can be used (when musically appropriate). The tempo varies constantly witht the tension of the piece and other factors. So it is hardly possible to give a good interpretation with a metronome ticking along. You should however have a steady tempo base inside yourself that you can return to after speeding up or slowing down. And don't get tempted to speed up easier parts or slow down harder ones - at least have a good musical explanation

[tsagari]

Hi GUENDOLA

I totally agree with you about the use of the methronome. I am only using this at the early stages of learing a piece because this helps me to bring the whole piece at a tempo where I can play with no important mistakes or stops. Otherwise I play the easy parts faster and stop where I have a difficulty.
After this I play freely with no aid divice.