Metronome (String Orchestra Gr. 3)

Metronome, marked ritmico e giocoso, can be used as a rhythmic accuracy etude for string orchestra students. The primary educational goal of this etude is for the performers to maintain a metronomically precise tempo without speeding up or slowing down, which is a requisite skill for any musical ensemble. Since the piece is in duple meter, the accents on the first and second primary beats of each measure should give a feeling of students practicing to a musical metronome.

Genre: String Orchestra | # of Players: 8-8-5-5-5
Series: Emerald Orchestra Series
Level: 3 | Duration: 4:00

Instrumentation
Conductor's Score (8.5"x11" stapled booklet)

Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Cello
Contrabass

Program Notes
The primary purpose of a metronome is to help musicians keep a steady tempo when they are practicing music. However, they have also been used as musical instruments, like in György Ligeti's Poème Symphonique for 100 identical mechanical metronomes. While this piece does not utilize any actual metronomes, it may be used as a rhythmic accuracy etude for string orchestra students. Since the piece is in duple meter, the composer has placed accents on the first and second primary beats of each measure so that students can always be aware of the meter as if they were listening to a metronome. Metronome is marked ritmico e giocoso, which means that it should be played with metronomically precise rhythm and a joyful or playful spirit.