A Preliminary Study: Is the Metronome Harmful or Helpful?

Autor/inn/en	Arthur, Patricia; Khuu, Sieu; Blom, Diana
Titel	A Preliminary Study: Is the Metronome Harmful or Helpful?
Quelle	In: Australian Journal of Music Education, 50 (2016) 2, S.71-82 (12 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0004-9484
Schlagwörter	Teaching Methods; Music Education; Eye Movements; Musical Instruments; Visual Stimuli; Time; Cognitive Processes; Foreign Countries; College Students; Responses; Music Reading; Australia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Musikerziehung; Augenbewegung; Musikinstrument; Zeit; Cognitive process; Kognitiver Prozess; Ausland; Collegestudent; Musizieren; Australien
Abstract	The metronome is a frequently used time-keeping tool in music instrument practice. However, if its speed is set beyond a comfortable level for the performer, their eye movement (EM) patterns can betray pressure that might have been placed on the visual processing system. The patterns of the eyes moving forward or back, (saccades); when the eye stops between saccades to take in visual information, (fixations) and/or the time taken to programme a saccade (saccadic latency), are indicative of processing ability and differ with expertise. What is not known is how various levels of speed demand might affect the EM patterns of musicians with differing sight-reading abilities. This study measured the EM patterns of expert and non-expert music sight-readers. Musical excerpts were played on a keyboard--initially at the individual's fastest speed ensuring accuracy and then at a metronome setting of 120MM. The study showed that imposing excessive relative speed demands on less skilled sight-readers resulted in an inability to sustain performance. While this result might be expected, examination of the EM patterns of the experts indicated that smaller speed increments relative to their fastest accurate speed, resulted in less processing stress. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Australian Society for Music Education. P.O. Box 5, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia. Tel: +61-3-9925-7807; e-mail: publications@asme.edu.au; Web site: http://www.asme.edu.au
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01