Using Your Metronome - Part 1 - Tempo Markings

Are the tempo markings found at the top of music scores suggestions or requirements? And what if the piece doesn’t have tempo markings? In this video, Dr. Lory Peters takes a look at determining the final tempo for your pieces, as well as several ways to get to that important final tempo that you will use to play your perfected pieces. The video begins with a brief history of tempo markings in music. Early composers didn't indicate how slow or fast their compositions were to be played. This left the decision of tempo up to the performers. As you might expect, music in these periods of classical music was performed at a wide range of tempos. Audiences were never sure just how fast their favorite pieces would be played. Some kind of tempo system was obviously needed. At first, composers used descriptive terms to set the tempo. These terms were often in Italian due to the influence of Italian composers on classical music. However, these terms were also subject to interpretation. With the invention of the metronome in the early 1800s, composers now had a way to suggest a tempo that could be uniformly applied in beats per minute. One improvement on the metronome system was to also add a note value to the tempo, where a note -- like a quarter or eighth note -- would be assigned one beat. Composers and performers now had a clear roadmap of the music and the speed at which it should be performed. Please be sure to Like and Subscribe. And thank you for watching! Send an Email - [email protected] Visit my website at https://lorypeters.com But tempo markings are still just suggestions, as Dr. Lory will demonstrate. In the next part of the video, she demonstrates how you can find your own final tempos for the pieces you are studying. You can do this, she says, by establishing a range of tempos, and then practicing at various tempos until you find a good tempo for you. Dr. Lory also discusses listening to how other performers interpret the same piece you are playing. Your music streaming service is a powerful tool in your research. Demonstration pieces for this video include Bach's Invention No. 1 in C Major, Sonata in Bb Major (Hammerklavier) Op. 106 by Ludwig Van Beethoven, Beethoven's Für Elise, and the contemporary work "So Excited" by Wendy Bernatavicius M.D. Please like and subscribe to Dr. Lory's videos, and feel free to comment. Teachers, feel free to use the techniques shown in this video for your own students. If you are interested in online piano lessons with Dr. Lory, visit https://lorypeters.com. Thanks for watching!