How to really use your metronome: 9 creative ways

Most of us probably use the metronome to hit every beat in the bar to keep us in check. However, there are more creative ways to use the metronome that can develop your timing more effectively and help you internalize complex rhythms.Here are some of our favorite ways to set up our metronome for rhythm practice:

Want to try this while you read? Open our free online metronome in a new tab and practice along right in your browser.

(Pro tip - we save all these presets in a setlist, a feature available in our free Metronome App!)

1. Alternate bars on and off

Removing metronome beats will test your ability to stay on time independently. Double the number of beats in your time signature (we have 8/4 here) and remove the beats in one half of the metronome cycle.

2. Displace the beat

Displacing the beat might take some getting used to at first, but change brings about growth. Feeling the accent in a different place will help lock in your sense of time.

We've manually input the 16th note subdivisions here (so you have a visual prompt to keep you on track) by setting 16 beats in the bar (for 16 sixteenth notes in a 4/4 measure). You can also experiment with displacing the beat by 2 or 3 sixteenth notes.

3. Son clave

The 3-2 or 2-3 son clave rhythm is the most common pattern used in Cuban music and is a great one to internalize.

We've set up a 3-2 clave beat here, with a small accent to maintain the pulse on the 2-side of the cycle. You can customize the subdivisions to fit your needs and easily set up the 2-3 clave beat by adjusting the accents within this 16-beat grid.

With the 16-beat grid, we've essentially set up a two-measure cycle of eighth-note subdivisions (there are 16 eighth notes in two measures of 4/4).

4. 3:4 polyrhythm

Can't quite figure out how 3 fits against 4? You can set up the composite rhythm in a 12-beat grid. Except for the first beat (where both patterns start), the 4-pattern is marked with a medium accent, while the 3-pattern is marked with the smallest accent.

Use this grid as a refresher of how this polyrhythm sounds or when you want to improvise over it.

For a more in-depth explanation, check out How to practice polyrhythms on the metronome.

5. Beats 2 and 4

An oldie but a goodie. Set your metronome to beat on 2 and 4 only to feel the backbeat. It's almost like you're playing with a live drummer.

6. Alternate between meters

Do you know when you're playing steadily in simple meter, and suddenly a triplet throws you off completely?

You can practice your fluidity between meters by alternating between duple and triple time. Treat this 12-beat grid as a two-measure cycle (alternating between 6/8 and 3/4) or as a 12/8 grid with a strong 2-beat swing.

This grid is also fun to improvise over!

7. Downbeat every two bars

This concept is similar to alternating bars on and off, but you can keep removing beats until you only have a downbeat every two bars. This is challenging!

8. Odd tuplets

Grouping odd tuplets or odd meters in 3s and 2s helps give more shape and phrasing. In this example, we have a 3-2-2 grouping with accents.

Odd tuplets aren't common in most people's rhythmic vocabulary, but they can add interest to your music. Get used to counting in groups of 5s and 7s with the help of the metronome; with habit comes familiarity.

You can also set up a 10-beat or 14-beat grid to play with two groups of 5s and 7s, respectively.

9. Ballad with no downbeat

You could set up a 6/8 ballad feel with the triplet subdivisions in our app, but we think it's more fun to customize your subdivisions.

With this setup, where you only get the off-beats, you'll need to provide that secure, locked-in downbeat instead of relying on the metronome. Try it out with various 6/8 songs!

Check out The difference between 6/8 and 3/4 - take the quiz!.

Try out these metronome settings in the Metronome App by Soundbrenner! Don't forget to save your favorite settings as presets, as setting up the clave rhythm from scratch can be quite a challenge.