Hi, I am taking the violin grade two exam this year. My chosen pieces are
papageno's song
moon sprites
wind up

I know that a metronome can help me to play the pieces at the right speed and with the correct timing. However, I find it EXTREMELY distracting and confusing. Is it just me or other people thinks the same?
Whenever I set it on, I unconsciouly stop listen to the metronome but just play the piece I am playing (obviously not always at the correct timing and speed). Maybe it is because I am not used to it yet? How can I get used to it, listening to both things at the same time, alongside with reading the music and thinking?

Can anyone offer any advice or tips please?

There are some tips in this thread.

Car Expert

I like lizbun's post in that thread - get the metronome going to give you the speed, but turn it off before you start playing. Don't get used to playing with a metronome because at some point you'll have to get used to playing without it, and life is difficult enough already!

when I play violin I can't hear the metronome!!!
so there is no way I could use it!
funny though...my teacher keeps telling me to be 'louder' but I am so loud already that I can't hear both my manual metronome and also the digital one on highest volume setting!

Hi Sakurawings

I'm also doing Grade Two in June!

I'm playing
La Morisque
Moon Sprites
Moderato (I think that's what it's called )

I don't have a metronome and forgot to ask my teacher at my last lesson about the speed for the scales. But she has used it in the past and tries out the speed then switches it off for me to play without it as a distraction but as a guide before I start.

I have the CD for the Grade 2 pieces and have been told that Moon Sprites is way too fast on the recording. I'm going to play it with less 'rush' and more 'fairy-ness'

When I first started playing it I played it too slow and my teacher told me to speed it up. Now I am playing it with 124 (think that's the number on the book). I reall like this piece.