Tempo With The Metronome

I don't think I understood the question exactly. Do you want to know what the indication «Moderato» corresponds to in terms of metronome speed, or how to transition from one meter to another within the same piece? Could you clarify further?

Hello.

Usually, to establish the tempo of a piece, in addition to indications such as "presto, andante, piu' mosso, moderato", etc. on the score, the numerical value to be set on the metronome should appear.

Associated with the numerical value (with the symbol =) there is a musical figure: eighth note, quarter note or others.

If, for example, you find a piece in 3/8 with specified Eighth Note = 130, it means that at every metronome beat you must perform an eighth note at a speed of 130 BPM (beats per minute).

So the metronome with three "clicks" or beats (if you have a good mechanical metronome) counts a measure of 3/8.

A moderate tempo on the metronome is given between 80 and 100, I believe... Now try to feel the difference in speed between eighth note = 80 and quarter note = 80.

As far as time signatures are concerned, it seems from your question that you possess an electronic metronome set only to 4/4. There is probably a stronger click on the first of the 4 beats that make up the measure.

You should have the possibility to move the stronger click every three beats so that you can hear a ternary time like three-quarter or three-eighths......

Unfortunately, all this is easier to do than to write. With a common mechanical metronome, usually every beat is equal in volume to the others... so you just have to decide which one is our One.

Certain that I have irremediably driven you away from music, I greet you cordially!!

Oops! I believe that Maestro Carlos (who beat me in speed...) will surely be able to update you better than I can!!

Moderato should range from 88 to 104, numbers indicating the beats per minute.

Now it is a matter of determining whether this beat is divided into two (the case of 4/4) or into 3 (the case of 6/8)

3/4 and 3/8 could be divided into two given the indication moderato; in a Preso, for example, 3/8 could easily be thought of as one.

As has rightly been requested, more and more precise information is needed

I thank everyone for the quick replies, I will try to explain myself better.

First of all, I own a mechanical metronome; every beat is equal to the others in volume.

So, let's suppose we have a piece with an "allegro" indication but without a precise tempo definition to set with the metronome; obviously, we have the beat indication which we assume is 3/4.

Well, on my metronome, the "allegro" tempo is given at 120, but I believe it refers to a 4/4 tempo, so I would like to know how I should set the metronome for this piece. And what if the same piece were in 3/8? Or another beat?

I hope I have been clearer; forgive me, but I am just getting close to music...

Roberto.

dalrmi wrote:

on my metronome the "allegro" tempo is set to 120 but I believe it refers to a 4/4 time signature

That is not the case. But regardless, do not take the indications you find on the metronome as gospel: they are purely indicative, and to establish the correct tempo, even in the presence of the composer's indication, one must consider the music, certainly not an absolute value. Furthermore, it depends on which reference value you have to establish the speed: MM120 = Allegro means nothing, really. We can talk about a specific piece, if you want, but one certainly cannot say Allegro is 120, Andante is 76, Adagio is 52, etc... believe me.

The metronome only marks the tempo, whether we are referring to 4/4 or 3/4 it doesn't change much, in the sense that in the first case 4 beats will be needed to make a measure and in the second case only 3 beats will be needed.

But the essence doesn't change, every beat is a subdivision, so

4/4= F d f d (4 beats)

3/4=F d d (3 beats)

Considering 120, in the first case in one minute you will play 30 measures...in the second case, in one minute you will play 40 measures.

BackSpace wrote:

4/4= F d f d (4 beats)

3/4=F d d (3 beats)

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Aspirante wrote:

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I was referring to the succession of strong and weak accents within a measure