<i>Beyond the Metronome</i> <br>by Malcolm “Mac??? Santiago

The subtitle of this book, “Becoming an Inchronous Musician,” refers to the ability to play in time. Most of us have sat with a metronome while working on exercises and have been concerned about having a good feel against a click—but how many musicians focus specifically on developing their own internal sense of time? Santiago’s book sets out to help us get there.

Beyond the Metronome begins with a self-test and then walks through a process of diminishing note values, where the player’s time becomes subdivided from whole-note (or longer) clicks. Moving past that are sections on tempo memory, time feel, and phrasing. A CD with reference clicks is included to aid with the lessons.

Written around compelling ideas with exercises for development, the book should be worked through at one’s own pace. Musicians of all levels can benefit from the ideas here, as can teachers looking to guide their students in developing a solid, accurate sense of time. Refining that ability helps make a musician more confident—and that’s something everyone benefits from. (inchronicity.com) Advertisement

Martin Patmos