<p>My 9-year-old son needs a metronome; he’s been studying piano for 3 years. His teacher said to get an electronic model with a flashing light as well as sound, so that the sound can be turned off sometimes. He said that they only cost about $16, so I take it he means a low-end model. I tried google and came up with a bewildering variety. Can someone recommend a metronome and an online source?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Dr. Beat </p>
<p>Best metronome there is. </p>
<p>[Lemur</a> Music - double bass, string bass, upright bass, standup bass, and bass accessories-Metronomes](<a href=“http://shop1.mailordercentral.com/lemurmusic/products.asp?dept=71]Lemur”>http://shop1.mailordercentral.com/lemurmusic/products.asp?dept=71)</p>
<p>I am a bass player, so I shop online at Lemur Music. They have other metronomes on their site, too – Dr. Beats are a little bit expensive.</p>
<p>My son also has a Dr. Beat and he agrees it’s the best on the market…but I don’t think this is what is needed for a nine year old. Also, I don’t recall that it has a light. And it’s a LOT more expensive than $16 (how about more than $100). </p>
<p>Check the Brasswinds and Woodwinds site. They have a lot of reasonably priced metronomes.</p>
<p>I have a Yamaha metronome that I use with my piano students. I like it because it is big enough to not get lost in the piles of music around my piano, has two different pitches of beat, so I can pick the one that works best with a particular piece, and it has a light on top. I found it on this site - there may be others. It is the top one - a dome-shaped thing, listed for $30.</p>
<p>[Musician’s</a> Friend - Search Results](<a href=“yamaha metronome Results | Musician's Friend”>yamaha metronome Results | Musician's Friend)</p>
<p>It is not as loud as I wish it were. Sometimes I hold it close to my student’s ear if they’re having trouble hearing it. It is louder when sitting solidly on wood, too. But if you can shop around and find the loudest one you can, that would be my recommendation.</p>
<p>Another example - I found this one that advertises it has a loud beat and a visual pulse. It is only $17. Obviously, for piano, you don’t need one with a 440 A for tuning. (The dome model above has one.)</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Sabine Zipbeat-6000 Digital Metronome: Musical Instruments](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Sabine-ZIPBEAT-6000-Zipbeat-6000-Metronome/dp/B0002E1MLA]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Sabine-ZIPBEAT-6000-Zipbeat-6000-Metronome/dp/B0002E1MLA)</p>
<p>And on a random note, my D took my metronome, taped curly gold ribbons all over the top, and cut out a photo of Shirly Temple’s face. She named my metronome Shirley Tempo. Not all my students get it, but their parents think it’s hysterical.</p>
<p>Dr. Beat here as well.
My s. loves it and says others love it too.</p>
<p>Son has had a Dr. Beat for years. He named it Lucy.</p>
<p>Don’t ask why. I still don’t know.</p>
<p>We have a few Dr. Beats in this house (3 musicians), and it’s definitely the best metronome for a serious musician. However, I love the zipbeat for the easy to use dial. The digital ones can be quite confusing.</p>
<p>DD has a simple Yamaha metronome. It was under $25. We bought it at a local music store. You might want to just go into a local music store (any kind…they all seem to have inexpensive metronomes) and see what they have.</p>
<p>I really think the Dr. Beat is an outstanding metronome but I also think it might be a bit of “overkill” for what this OP is looking for.</p>
<p>Don’t spend a lot on one for a 9 year old boy. It will be dropped, lost, fall behind stuff. You name it. We had a simple one so I would not care what happened to it but not a large one since they would not take it with them if it was too big. Wouldn’t you know - it has lasted through all 4 of them and DD is still using it :)</p>
<p>DR. BEAT!!!</p>
<p>I highly, highly, highly recommend it, even though I hate using metronomes. I’ve had a morbid fear of metronomes since I was like 5, but Dr. Beat made using it bearable. It’s a really good investment for your son. You gotta use the best…</p>
<p>it’s a good way to spend $160. really.</p>
<p>My D just got a Korg - she just got whatever was available at the local music supply store. She is happy with it and I don’t think it was expensive.</p>
<p>Seiko has great metronomes. Mine is named Sally. </p>
<p>From my experience, Dr. Beat (the little blue portable one) is not good for rehearsing. </p>
<p>Seiko is great - you can control the volume easily and it even comes with a tuner.
It is named Seiko SQ50-V.</p>
<p>It’s great! 
I am a pianist and organist and I use this DAILY!!</p>
<p>The metronome I just bought is a Quick Time metronome, I think, and it’s really nice for cheap. It was only 30 dollars, and it has the flashing light, a clicker, and a tuning note if you ever need it. Plus there’s a headphone jack in case you want to use it but you don’t want to disturb anyone around you. I’m sure you can find it in most music stores. I’ve already found it very useful, and I’ve only had it for a few weeks.</p>
<p>DS’s Dr Beat is black with yellow. It’s not “little” or “blue” and it is extremely good for rehearsing and practicing. BUT it’s expensive. I think it’s overkill for the OP. I checked with both of my kids. The kid who had the Dr. Beat had a Seiko, then a Korg, both very small and inexpensive before the Dr. Beat. The other kid has a Yamaha she still uses (very inexpensive).</p>
<p>Cadenza has transformed me from someone with poor rhythm into someone feeling a beat in everything around me. Been using it over the year, and most likely to accompany me for the rest of my music life.
You can find it for only $2, at: <a href=“https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cadenza-tuner-+-metronome/id482745751?mt=8”>https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cadenza-tuner-+-metronome/id482745751?mt=8</a></p>
<p>I have piano students and we have a Boss Tuner TU-80…it was about $40. We had a Boss that lasted 8 years and when it died, we bought the same brand because we were so happy with it. We got ours through music and arts. We have used it for both piano and flute. </p>
<p>The Korg KDM2 is not the most sophisticated metronome on the market, but it has a flashing light, different beat sounds, different rhythms and, most important, it’s loud enough Around $50 or $60. . </p>
<p>Interesting that this thread from 2008 was revived again. And, yes, we now in 2014 have metronome apps that do the trick in a pinch and are very cheap–how quickly technology changes in just a few years. Wonder what’s next! Anyone try a metronome app with Google glasses?</p>
<p>Funny anecdote-- I could never get my husband to carry a cell phone until I downloaded a metronome app for him (he is an avid amateur). Now when he wants to find his phone he asks if anyone’s seen his metronome. </p>
<p>D3 recently got a cheap metronome because the app was eating too much battery life in the practice room (no convenient plug).</p>