Metronome Practice Routines for Every Instrument

Goal: Even, relaxed alternate picking at any tempo

Start tempo: 60 BPM (eighth notes)

1. Play chromatic scale on one string using strict down-up-down-up picking
2. Metronome clicks on quarter notes; you play 2 notes per click
3. Focus on pick angle staying consistent — no "flicking"
4. Once comfortable, increase by 5 BPM
5. Target: 160 BPM (eighth notes) = 80 BPM clicking quarter notes

Common mistake: Tensing up as tempo increases. Keep shoulders and wrist relaxed!

Goal: Clean string changes without timing hiccups

Start tempo: 50 BPM (quarter notes)

1. Play Em pentatonic scale (box 1) ascending and descending
2. One note per click
3. String changes must happen exactly in time — no pauses or rushes
4. Record yourself to check for timing inconsistencies on string changes
5. Progress: 50 → 60 → 70 → 80 → 100 BPM

Goal: Smooth, rhythmic chord transitions

Start tempo: 40 BPM (quarter notes)

1. Choose 2-4 chord progression (e.g., G-C-D-Em)
2. Strum on every beat (quarter notes)
3. Change chords exactly on beat 1
4. If you can't make the change in time, you're too fast
5. Once fluid, add strumming pattern (eighth notes, syncopation)

Pro tip: Practice "ghost changes" — lift your fingers and form the new chord shape while muting, before the actual change.

Goal: Rock-solid time that locks with drums

1. Set metronome to 80 BPM, but have it click only on beats 2 and 4 (backbeat)
2. Play a simple bass line (root notes, quarters or eighths)
3. Your beat 1 and 3 must land perfectly between the clicks
4. This trains you to feel the entire measure, not just follow the click

Goal: Left and right hands keeping independent rhythms

Start tempo: 60 BPM (quarter notes)

1. Right hand: Play C major scale, one note per click (quarter notes)
2. Left hand: Play C and G alternating, two notes per click (eighth notes)
3. Both hands must stay perfectly synchronized with metronome
4. Switch: Left hand quarter notes, right hand eighth notes
5. Advanced: 3:2 polyrhythm (right hand triplets, left hand quarters)

Goal: Every note of a scale equally loud and timed

Start tempo: 60 BPM (set to sixteenth note subdivisions)

1. Play C major scale, 4 notes per beat (sixteenth notes)
2. Each note must hit exactly with the metronome subdivision
3. Focus on thumb tuck-under — this is where most timing issues occur
4. Play at consistent mezzo-forte volume — use a recording to check evenness
5. Goal tempo: 120 BPM (sixteenth notes) = blazing fast scales

Goal: Smooth arpeggios with even timing across octaves

Start tempo: 50 BPM (eighth notes)

1. Play C major arpeggio: C-E-G-C-G-E-C (two octaves)
2. One note per click
3. Each note must be exactly on the beat, no rushing the top or dragging the descent
4. Practice all inversions
5. Add rhythmic variation: triplets, syncopation

Goal: Keep playing even when you make mistakes (crucial skill!)

1. Choose slightly-too-difficult sheet music
2. Set metronome to comfortable tempo (usually 60-80 BPM)
3. Play through without stopping, no matter what
4. If you make a mistake, keep going — stay with the metronome
5. This builds the ability to "fail gracefully" in performance

Goal: Perfect alternating strokes (R-L-R-L) at any speed

Start tempo: 60 BPM (quarter notes)

1. Play 16th notes: R-L-R-L (4 strokes per click)
2. All strokes must be equal volume and rebound height
3. Use a practice pad and watch stick heights in a mirror
4. Gradually increase: 70, 80, 90, 100 BPM
5. Goal: 140 BPM (quarter notes) = 560 BPM single strokes

Key point: Speed comes from relaxation, not tension. Let the stick rebound naturally.

Goal: Clean R-L-R-R-L-R-L-L pattern

Start tempo: 50 BPM (eighth notes)

1. Play paradiddle pattern, 2 notes per click
2. Accent the first note of each group: R-L-R-R-L-R-L-L
3. Keep non-accented notes quiet (ghost notes)
4. Move around the kit: start on snare, then toms, then cymbals

Goal: All four limbs doing different things simultaneously

Start tempo: 60 BPM (quarter notes)

1. Right foot: Bass drum on every beat (quarter notes)
2. Right hand: Ride cymbal eighth notes (2 per beat)
3. Left hand: Snare on beats 2 and 4 (backbeat)
4. Left foot: Hi-hat on all 4 beats (with right foot)
5. Once comfortable, add variations: syncopated bass, ghost notes on snare

Goal: Not being a "click slave" — developing drummer's internal clock

1. Set metronome to 80 BPM, clicks on 2 and 4 only (backbeat)
2. Play a basic rock beat
3. Your bass drum (on 1 and 3) must be perfectly between the clicks
4. Advanced: Set metronome to click only on beat 1 every other measure
5. Ultra-advanced: Click every 4 measures — are you still in time?

This is crucial: Drummers are the metronome for the band. You need internal time, not metronome dependence.

Goal: Hold steady pitch while maintaining exact rhythm

Start tempo: 60 BPM (quarter notes)

1. Sing a single note ("ahhh") for exactly 4 beats
2. Start and stop precisely on the click
3. Pitch must not waver or drift
4. Use a tuner app to verify pitch stability
5. Advance: Sing scale tones, one per beat, connecting smoothly

Goal: Musical phrasing that stays in time

Start tempo: 70 BPM (quarter notes)

1. Sing an 8-beat phrase from a song
2. Breathe on specific beats (usually before beat 1)
3. Breath must not disrupt timing — practice "quick breath" technique
4. Record yourself: Are you rushing after breaths? Dragging?
5. Common issue: Rushing during fast runs, dragging on slow phrases

Goal: Sing off-beat rhythms accurately

Start tempo: 60 BPM (quarter notes)

1. Sing syllables on syncopated rhythms: "And-1, 2-and, 3, 4-and-a"
2. Use nonsense syllables first: "dah dah dah"
3. Then add lyrics from actual songs
4. Clap the beat while singing syncopation — builds rhythmic independence

Goal: Smooth transitions between song sections at different tempos

1. Practice verse at 80 BPM for 8 measures
2. Switch metronome to 100 BPM for chorus
3. Transition must be instant and clean — no "speeding up into it"
4. Then practice without metronome changes — feel the tempo shift internally

Goal: Every articulated note starts exactly on time

Start tempo: 60 BPM (quarter notes)

1. Play long tones with clear tongued articulation: "tah tah tah"
2. Each note must start precisely with the click
3. Common issue: "Late tongue" — tongue is slow to articulate
4. Use a recording to hear if you're consistently before or after the beat
5. Progress: Quarter notes → eighth notes → sixteenth notes

Goal: Blazing fast runs without rushing

Start tempo: 40 BPM (set to 16th note subdivision)

1. Choose a technically difficult passage (fast scale, arpeggio run)
2. Set metronome to click 16th notes at very slow tempo
3. Play one note per click — painfully slow but perfectly in time
4. Increase by 5 BPM only when you can play 10 perfect reps
5. This builds muscle memory for the exact fingering rhythm

Goal: Quick breaths that don't disrupt time

1. Set metronome to 80 BPM
2. Play 7 beats, breathe on beat 8, immediately restart
3. The breath must happen in the exact duration of one beat
4. Advanced: Breath on an eighth note (half a beat)
5. This is especially important for flute and sax players in fast passages

Goal: Consistent bow speed regardless of tempo

Start tempo: 60 BPM (quarter notes)

1. Play open strings with full bow (frog to tip)
2. Each bow stroke takes exactly 4 beats
3. Bow speed must be constant — no acceleration or deceleration
4. Watch in a mirror: is your bow staying parallel to the bridge?
5. Advance: 2 beats per bow, 1 beat per bow, 2 bows per beat

Goal: Position shifts that don't disrupt rhythm

Start tempo: 50 BPM (quarter notes)

1. Play a scale that requires position shifts (G major, 2 octaves)
2. One note per click
3. The shift must happen between clicks (between beats)
4. Next note must land exactly on time, perfectly in tune
5. Common mistake: Pausing during the shift, disrupting rhythm

Goal: Clean string changes without timing hiccups

1. Play arpeggios that cross multiple strings
2. Set metronome to click eighth notes (2 per bow stroke)
3. String crossings must be smooth and exactly in time
4. Practice slowly: 50 BPM, then gradually increase

Goal: Clean, precise entrances after rests

Start tempo: 60 BPM (quarter notes)

1. Rest for 4 beats, then play a long tone for 4 beats
2. The note must start exactly on beat 1 (after the rest)
3. No "scooping" into pitch, no late tongue
4. This trains accurate entrances — crucial for ensemble playing

Goal: Smooth slurs that land on time

1. Set metronome to 80 BPM
2. Play lip slur pattern (e.g., low C to middle C to high C)
3. Each note must land exactly with the click
4. Focus on embouchure adjustment happening between clicks

Goal: Even double/triple tonguing at any speed

Start tempo: 40 BPM (set to 16th notes)

1. Double tongue: "tah-kah-tah-kah" (4 notes per beat)
2. Triple tongue: "tah-tah-kah-tah-tah-kah" (6 notes per beat)
3. Each articulation must be exactly on a subdivision click
4. Record yourself: is "kah" weaker than "tah"? Work on evening it out