To increase speed in increments and loop at your desired tempo if you choose, use the Tempo Speed Trainer for this purpose. You can use your computer keyboard (for greater efficiency) or simply click on the interface with your mouse. The widget gradualy climbs in steps of a set number, building a ladder of tempos that rises from your starting beats per minute to your final chosen tempo.
Think of your computer keyboard as your trainer’s remote control. Hit the spacebar to play back the metronome. Use the left and right arrow keys to step backwards or forwards between the rungs. For each increment of five use the up and down arrow keys to change master volume. If you make an error, simply hit the R key to play the current rung again from the first bar. This gives you time to correct your mistake.
How to Use the Tempo Speed Trainer
If you want to see more of what’s going on then hit F to go into fullscreen mode and hit H to show or hide the help panel. Shortcuts work when the main tempo panel is in focus. The text status lines tells you how many bars are left before the tempo changes, letting you know when it’s time for the change. The giant screen above display which rung you’re on and your current beats per minute. A row of dots beneath the large display lights up with each bar/beat in the stage so you can see exactly where you are without looking at the ladder grid, but also know your progress by filling up the progress bar as you traverse the bars. With this kind of feedback, you don’t have to look down and lose track of where you are.
At a glance the tempo ladder grid presents each step of your session. Completed rungs is dark with a filled box. The current rung is in the accent color. Still to come boxes is outlined. Click on any rung to jump to that tempo. It is great for revisiting an earlier speed or skipping ahead. The grid wraps over into additional rows so that you can view all the rungs without having to scroll down.
Manual control of the transport buttons sits below the grid. The Start button begins playback and changes to a stop button while it is running. The repeat rung button repeats the current rung starting from the first bar. The previous/next buttons steps backward or forward by a single rung. This is handy when your playing was not clean and you need to practice that specific speed again. The reset button stops the trainer and resets to rung one.
You use the number fields to create the structure of your practice session. Your Start BPM is the comfortable speed at which you feel able to play cleanly and your Target BPM is what you are aiming for. Step BPM is how far the tempo rises with every rung. The smaller this step, the gentler the increase in pace and the greater the number of rungs needed. The larger the step, the more aggressive the rise in tempo. Beats per bar set the time signature of the metronome. Bars per Rung decide how many bars to play at a given tempo before it rises again. It is a rung. The last one is the Hold At Target. If you turn it on, the metronome will continue playing the target tempo in a loop instead of stopping. That way, you can hold your desired pace for as long as you like before pressing pause. Volume is how loud you want the metronome to be. Use the arrow keys or move the slider up and down to a suitable volume.
Real-time stats appears in the summary chips below. For example, there’s the estimated session length; a count of the total number of rungs; which direction the ramp is moving; and an elapsed and remaining time that can help you map out your practice window. Click the Restore defaults link if you wish to reset everything to the original settings. This will set the tempo back to 80 to 140 BPM with 4 BPM steps.
Build up the speed steadily and gently by choosing a modest step size. A two-BPM step every eight bars is usually preferable than big leaps that reveal errors too soon. When approaching your desired pace and feeling stiff, drop the target below where you began. It will slow down the speed and help you spot physical tensions you may have missed when increasing the tempo. Make full use of the repeat button to nail down control of each rung in turn before moving on. Set a modest step size at first, then adjust accordingly. Use this step-by-step approach; click Start on your first session and follow the instructions. Keyboard shortcuts will help you move through it rapidly while keeping your eyes off the keys. Because the trainer adapts to your preferences, you can create a practice schedule that suits your requirements. You should of used a smaller step if you find it too difficult.