What does metronome mean?
Word: Metronome
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Metronome means a small device that marks time for musicians with a regular tick.
Word origin: Comes from Greek metron and nomos.
How do you spell metronome?
Syllables: met - ro - nome
Tricky part: The vowel after the r is weak and easy to mishear, so students write metranome or metrenome. It is an o.
Watch out for: metranome, metrenome
Memory tip: Listen to the tick-tock: the o of tock is the letter to hear just after the r.
Metronome in a sentence
Example 1: My sitar teacher sets the metronome slowly at first and then speeds it up.
Example 2: The steady tick of the metronome filled the small practice room.
Example 3: Arjun practised his scales with a metronome app on his phone.
Fun Fact
Johann Maelzel patented the clockwork metronome in 1815, and Beethoven was one of the first great composers to write metronome speeds into his music.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) violinist : bow
b) pianist : keybord
c) drummer : cymbals
d) musician : metronome
Show answer
b) pianist : keybord. Keyboard has an a before the r; each other pair links a musician correctly with something they use.
Spellacadabra
Choose the word that takes the same letter in both blanks:
a) r_cit_l
b) m_tronom_
c) orch_str_
d) h_rm_ny
Show answer
b) m_tronom_. Metronome needs e in both places; the others need two different vowels.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. metronome 2. tempo 3. baton a. a tool that clicks out the beats for a player b. a stick for leading an orchestra c. the speed of a piece of music
a) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
b) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
c) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
Show answer
d) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. The tool clicks the beats for the player, tempo is how fast the music goes, and a conductor holds a baton.
Back to the Roots
Choose the correct option: Metronome comes from the Greek word metron. What did metron mean?
a) a drum
b) a dance
c) a melody
d) a measure
Show answer
d) a measure. A metronome measures out the beats, and metre and metric share the same root.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A young pianist keeps speeding up in the fast parts. How could a metronome help her?
a) by making the piano sound louder
b) by tuning the strings of the piano
c) by showing her which notes to play
d) by holding her to one even speed
Show answer
d) by holding her to one even speed
2. A metronome is set to 60 beats per minute. How often will it tick?
a) once every minute
b) sixty times a second
c) once every second
d) six times a second
Show answer
c) once every second
