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I have to practise a scale-type violin exercise in 4/4 time at 1 minim = 62. My metronome does not have a minim setting option on it. Can I set a timing using crotchets to get a similar type result? Thanks

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    As seen in the confusion among the answers - it would be helpful if you told us the name & model of your metronome so we know what its capabilities and markings are.
    – Carl Witthoft
    Feb 4, 2019 at 16:07

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"4/4 time at 1 minim = 62" means that the metronome can be set at 124, so a minim (half note) will last two metronome beats, a crotchet (quarter note) will last one metronome beat, and so on.

(Not sure why they didn't just say 4/4 at 124, since normally you want to hear a metronome click at every beat. Maybe they want you to practice with the metronome only marking beats 1 and 3? In that case you would set the metronome at 62, and interpret the clicks as beat 1 and 3 in the 4 beats of every 4/4 bar)

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Metronomes are supposed to go tick tick tick tick tick, and not care about time signatures, minims, crotchets, any of that stuff. Unless it's some sort of "smart" metronome, but I'd recommend you to try and be smarter than your metronome. :)

How many times a minute do you want it to tick? You are told to play at a rate of 62 minims per minute, and you want to support your time-keeping with a metronome.

  • If you want the metronome to tick once for each of your minims, then you set its tick rate to 62 ticks per minute.
  • If you want the metronome to tick two times for each of your minims, you set its tick rate to 124 ticks per minute.
  • If you want the metronome to tick four times for each of your minims, you set its tick rate to 248 ticks per minute.
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  • There are a lot of 'smart' ? metronomes out there, which can go 'ping, click, click. click'. And others with a flashing light (for the deaf, or those who can't play quietly?) that can change colour. Not that smart.
    – Tim
    Feb 4, 2019 at 9:59
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A minim is worth two beats. So, in this case, set the metronome for 62bpm.

  1. If you're supposed to play each scale note for the length of a minim, play on each click.

  2. If you're supposed to play a crotchet for each note, either play two notes per click, or - double the metronome to 124bpm., and play one note per click.

Two options, as the question isn't crystal clear. Metronome marks are not usually given in anything except crotchet= x bpm. in 4/4 time.

EDIT: given that the music is written out as one crotchet and six quavers, I'd set the metronome at 124bpm., and play the crotchet on the first click, then the two quavers sharing one click each.

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  • Ummmm.... metronome markings are given purely as beats per minute. What note value you apply is up to you. While a minim may be two beats in straight X/4 time, that's hardly universal!
    – Carl Witthoft
    Feb 4, 2019 at 16:06
  • @CarlWitthoft - true, and a generalisation here, as the OP appears to be inexperienced.And it is unusual to use minims as the 'basic beat', but that's only my experience and opinion. Is that inaccurate? The question is angled more towards clicks than beats.
    – Tim
    Feb 4, 2019 at 16:23
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Does your metronome have a 'crotchet=xxx' display? Don't worry. Set it to 'crotchet=62' but cheat - count minims instead! The metronome won't know.

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