METRONOM

[SCOTS DAVIE]

Does any one know wot the setting on a metronom would be if i was playing a flute march in 2-4 timing and wot would it be if i was playing in 6-8 timing

[atoriphile]

It really depends on the type of march. Even then, it is open to interpretation.

Which march(es) are you playing? Maybe then we can give you some idea of how fast it should go.

[SCOTS DAVIE]

the problem is i teach a marching flute band and i find when we play indoors the band plays at a steady beat but when we are marching on the street i find we play at a faster pace ie 120beats to the min which is way to fast i was thinking that if i brought the metronom to the practice it would give the band an idea of the proper pace a march should be played at if its 2-4 or 6-8 it would be mainley military marches

[atoriphile]

When you practice indoors, are they marching indoors, or just sitting/standing in place? That might affect their ability to keep a steady beat.

In terms of marching tempo, 120 bpm isn't that far off (like I said earlier, depending on the type of march).

For more information, see the Wikipedia article on the march:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_%28disambiguation%29 (Click the first link under "Marching")

Good luck!

[pied_piper]

Traditionally, military marches are played at around 120 BPM. If the band is playing at that speed when marching, that sounds about right. Perhaps the practice tempo is too slow.

You might need to further explain your issue. You said that "when we play indoors the band plays at a steady beat but when we are marching on the street i find we play at a faster pace". Are you implying that when marching outdoors the beat is unsteady or just faster than you practiced? If they start at a slower speed and gradually get faster, then perhaps they just need more outdoor practice while marching. The sound is different when playing inside or out, so they need to get used to the outdoor sound. Inside, it's somewhat easier to hear each other because the sound is contained in the room. When outside, it's more difficult to hear the other players and that can make the ensemble playing more difficult, especially if you don't practice outside.