The 7 Best Metronomes for Piano to Stay in Time (2023)
The metronome is one of your most important tools as a musician. In this article, we round up the best options for pianists.
Staying in time is one of the most important skills a musician must possess. Using a metronome will train you to properly keep in time.
My pick as the best mechanical metronome that doesn’t break the bank is the Mechanical Metronome by SOLO, while my pick as the best digital metronome is the Korg KDM3BK.
In this article, we’re going to look at the top 7 metronomes for piano. This list includes both mechanical and digital metronomes.
Contents
- The 7 Best Metronomes for Piano to Stay in Time (2023)
- 1. Mechanical Metronome by SOLO
- 2. Korg KDM-3 Digital Metronome
- 3. Digital Metronome + Pitch Generator
- 4. NEUMA Mechanical Metronome
- 5. Seiko SQ50-V Quartz Metronome
- 6. Wittner 834 Taktell Piccolo Metronome
- 7. ZhangSheng T710 Mechanical Metronome
- Conclusion
The 7 Best Metronomes for Piano to Stay in Time (2023)
1. Mechanical Metronome by SOLO
We start off this list with a classical wind-up mechanism metronome. This one has a classical wind-up mechanism inside it so you won’t need any batteries to any power source for that matter (besides winding it up of course). It comes in a beautiful hard black plastic casing with golden letters.
As far as the options of the metronome go, on this one you can change the beat from 0 to 2/3/4/6, so you can follow your notes exactly. It has good volume, so you don’t need to fear you won’t hear it when you play.
You can set up the tempo by adjusting the pendulum rod. The rod itself is itched on the exact tempo spots so you won’t miss them or let the weight on the rod slip while playing.
On this metronome, you will get around 20 minutes of playing time per winding up. The cost is affordable, and you shouldn’t hesitate on getting one yourself right now.
2. Korg KDM-3 Digital Metronome
Moving on to the digital side of the ring. Korg KDM-3 Digital Metronome is one of the best known and highly praised digital metronomes out there. This beauty is made out of plastic and comes in a variety of different colors. It has a large LED screen and an array of buttons and a big knob.
As for the options it provides, there is plenty of them. It has 19 different beat patterns, so no matter which music you want to play, you will find a suitable pattern for you to practice on. Also, it has a whopping 8 different ticking sounds.
You probably find that classic digital beeping sounds annoying, but here you can change them and find something you really like. Besides all of that, it has standard 3,5mm output for headphones and a really loudspeaker.
This is a great, quality buy. You will get a sturdy, high-end digital metronome that should last you for years.
3. Digital Metronome + Pitch Generator
This is a digital metronome, but it comes with a sliding rod same as the mechanical ones, with which you set up a tempo.
It’s made out of plastic and you can choose beat patterns from 0 to 6, with 3 different sounds which are not changeable. It has it’s own stand to stand up and uses batteries for power. This is a great lightweight metronome to take with you to practice.
4. NEUMA Mechanical Metronome
NEUMA is a mechanical metronome pretty similar to the first one on this list. It’s made out of the beautiful black plastic casing and has a mechanical metronome mechanism inside.
Because it’s mechanical you can’t really change the sound, but it’s loud enough to be heard over other instruments. It has different beat tempos and doesn’t use any power source apart from the winding up.
This is a cheap, classical outtake on the metronome. If you played music as a kid, it will take you back to your childhood and that ticking sound is sure to help you learn how to play in time.
5. Seiko SQ50-V Quartz Metronome
Here we have a quartz metronome. It’s similar to the digital ones but is designed based on the quartz technology from watches. And it’s no surprise that a watch company is producing them. Seiko’s SQ50-V is a no-nonsense metronome with two different sounds and a volume knob.
You can set the tempo from 40 to 208 bpm with a funky rotary dial. It comes with a red LED light that’s a visual guide for playing.
6. Wittner 834 Taktell Piccolo Metronome
This is another take on the classical wind-up metronomes. The main feature that sets this metronome apart from the rest of the pack is its beautiful design.
It looks and feels as if it’s gone straight from the 1950s. It’s made of plastic and has a beautiful red and white design that is just going to make your piano look much better when you place this on the top.
As far as the options go, Wittner 834 is not really packed with options, it’s just a normal, classical metronome. This is a cheap and portable little metronome for practice and for people that need something lightweight with them on the road.
7. ZhangSheng T710 Mechanical Metronome
This metronome is another mechanical metronome with classic functions. It comes in a cool transparent casing and you can set the beat to 0/2/3/4/6. It really is good-looking and will certainly add up to your piano when you place it on there.
It’s an affordable, classical, quality product.
About Metronomes
Dating back for hundreds of years, metronomes are essentially machines that produce sound and/or movement (or light) in a periodic order. Usually, they are set to BPM (beats per minute) as their unit of measure and have a pendulum or a light to provide visual aid as well as a beep for audio guidance.
Metronomes were developed as mechanical machines, in the early 19th century, in a similar fashion to clocks. Today, most of the metronomes made are made with quartz technology or with digital technology. Apart from them, you can always use software solutions and all of the DAW’s have in-built metronomes in them.
Conclusion
Whether you’re going to use the metronome for learning or for teaching or for practicing or for playing, you’re sure you can find the right one on this list. Be it the digital ones where you can sometimes change the sound.
Or classical, that take you back in time and have that traditional, soothing metronome sound. There is something out there on the market for you and we think these are the best options there are at this moment.
