A metronome, when properly used, forces students to play slowly enough to achieve real, lasting results. It also allows students to gradually increase the speed of their repetitions by very small increments—much smaller than what they do if left to themselves. Music experts agree that this type of consistency and small increases are necessary in order to learn effectively.

Following are tips for most effectively using a metronome:

• Start by choosing a metronome that has a click which is clear and sharp but does not hurt your ears or become distracting
• Clap to the metronome, listening first before clapping starts (begin with mid-range speeds, such as 80 and move faster)
• Keep the metronome out of sight so you can just listen and not watch the beat
• Choose a very simple exercise to begin your sessions and set the metronome to a tempo at which the student feels comfortable
• Turn on the metronome and just listen for a few moments
• Close your eyes and internalize the beat so that you are imaging the metronome is inside your body and is part of your own rhythm or heartbeat  (If you think of the beat as external to you, you’ll always be chasing it or waiting for it.)