The Haptic Metronome: A Study on Steady Tempo

One of the most prevalent issues that plagues aspiring (and professional) musicians is maintaining a steady tempo. The remedy is often hours of practice under the guidance of a steady auditory metronome. With experience, a feedback loop between the sound of the metronome and that of the instrument is optimized to minimize error. However, there are instances where an auditory metronome is not feasible and other modalities may provide an alternate approach to deliver the rhythmic cues, e.g., tactile metronomes. The effectiveness of tactile cues in drumming was tested and compared against auditory and combined (tactile and auditory) modalities between subject groups with disparate rhythm abilities. Although the haptic metronome was not able to reduce each subject's asynchrony as effectively as the auditory metronome, it was statistically proven to be effective at maintaining tempo. These outcomes may be utilized in live performances where a standard metronome is impractical, for musicians with disabilities who are unable to respond to auditory stimuli, and in motor rehabilitation that utilizes rhythmic cues.