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Originally Posted by Khora  Don't forget that metronomes and watches, etc. weren't nearly as accurate (or rigid) back when they had to be wound up frequently. Time is a bit of an artificial measure. Even though we've broken things into milliseconds, it is all based on how long it takes the earth to orbit the sun - I think there is probably some room for leeway in the whole thing! |
I think you're on to something.
Consider all this hysteria about "global warming" when we know that instruments were not nearly as accurate in 1894, yet the fear mongers are trying to make us believe that they know that the earth's temperature rose PRECISELY 1.234567 (?) degrees in the last 100 years. And someone may soon say it's caused by all the hot air from cornets and trumpets duirng that time (to say nothing of that from politicians).
Many of the Arban's studies show a range of tempos like 68 - 120, so the user can pick his or her own speed. Some people have put Arban's exercises in their books and chosen their own tempo. Arturo Sandoval has such exercises within the Arban's (Carl Fischer) range and includes a CD playing at that tempo. I'm unable to play at his tempo, but it gives me the idea of what to aim for some day and the general feeling of the piece, which is a big help to a novice.