metronome parts

Subject: metronome parts
From: Gypsy
Date: 08 Dec 05 - 10:22 PM

Okay, as long as we are getting soooooooooo enamoured of the beasties. Himself has the beauteous tick tocky one, i have an over the ear, and when we rehearse, we run an electronic one thru the stereo. But the tick tock Wittner is definitely the fave. So, what you do call the wiggly part? The weight on same? Any other anatomical names? Thanks all!

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 09 Dec 05 - 01:37 AM

The "wiggly thing" is called the pendulum. It may look like an "updulum" since it sticks up instead of hanging (pending) down, but if you look inside, you'll find a larger "hangy-down" weight that looks more like what you'd expect. The "double pendulum" is a feature of virtually all mechanical metronomes, since a simple "swinging weight" of convenient size would require an extremely long pendulum to get the low "tick frequencies" needed. The lower weight is usually fairly wide, and it's the "resistance to rotation" (rotational moment of inertia) that provides the lower frequency with a short pendulum radius.

I don't find a "nomenclature" for the little movable weight other than the "adjuster."

You can find here aa fair A SHORT HISTORY OF METRONOMES.

If you want more detailed information, you probably will need to look at some of the "collectors" sites. I didn't find a good one, but Horological sites of interest looks like it might be a good place to play around at. (I haven't played there yet, so can't make any guarantees.) Lots of interesting looking links to be followed.

(Note that with my slow connection, this last site says "done" with a blank screen, but if you wait a bit it will finish loading.)

John

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 09 Dec 05 - 08:27 AM

Classical music students are trained with a metronome, which is why they keep 'tighter' time than many of those, such as folkies, etc, who are not trained thus. This means that properly trained 'Classical' musicians will usually play in a tighter sounding ensemble than inexperienced others who have mostly played on their own. Any good 'real muso' (one who LISTENS while playing) will pick up this skill after a while, no matter how they were trained.

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: Gypsy
Date: 11 Dec 05 - 10:37 PM

Thanks guys! truly appreciate the time and answers........you are too good to me.

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 02:50 AM

John iK - instead of the really funny updulum I should prefer the more Latin sounding "statulum", or maccaronic: "standulum".
Its parts, translated from German: box, clockwork, pendulum, weight.

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 07:19 AM

Re: >more Latin sounding "statulum", or maccaronic: "standulum".

But wouldn't they not move? :-)

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 10:39 AM

Oh, they would, with the right amount of booze.

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 12 Dec 05 - 09:54 PM

It's a classic old gimmick in vibration texts to show that a pendulum will "pend inverted" (up, instead of down) in some circumstances, but one wouldn't want to subject a fine instrument to the vibratory inputs required.

John

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 02:01 AM

Since the term standulum seems to evoke the idea of immobility, we could use a term which should be understood in all West European languages (and their Transatlantic variants): tictaculum

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: Paul Burke
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 03:48 AM

I thought you wanted a score, with the metronone part written out..

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 14 Dec 05 - 08:53 AM

If I remember my primary school education (we did latin & greek roots in the 50's!) statio, status (or something like that) -> I stand -> suggesting a lack of motion....

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 15 Dec 05 - 09:33 AM

You're mostly right, F., but never forget there is an "at ease!" which proffers a little motion in standing. So let it be with the metro-gnomes.

like that: sto, steti, statum, stare

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 15 Dec 05 - 11:06 AM

Youse guys missed the point.

The thingy is the pendulum.

The only reason that it looks like something else is that you can't see the whole thing in most traditional metronomes.

All of the names you've suggested are names for something it looks like but that it isn't.

If you're going to produce a latinized nomenclature it must include all of:

"The part of the compound penudulum that looks like an upward extended swingy thingy."

The request was also for a name for the adjustable weight, which, if it must have it's own name must include all of:

The adjustable weight on the upper extension of the compound pendulum that can be moved to adjust the moment of inertia of the swingy part for the purpose of changing the frequency.

Now quit foolin' around and get accurate.

I will reserve judgement on whether the stated principle of taxonomic naming, that "it doesn't have to be based on real Latin or Greek as long as it sounds like Latin or Greek" will be acceptable. They only allowed that because they estimate that there are 300 million species still requiring names, and you've only got one tiny part to handle.

John

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 15 Dec 05 - 11:36 AM

Who was it that composed a piece involving some 40 metronomes in the orchestra? Cage?

Subject: RE: metronome parts
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 15 Dec 05 - 05:39 PM

N F Simpson did one with lots of clocks.


"you've only got one tiny part to handle."


Oi!