The Good Pianist

Author: Philip

  • My wish list for the Korg KDM-4 Digital Metronome

    It’s astounding when I look back at my wish list for the Korg KDM-3 metronome and discovered that I wrote it more than 13 years ago! Korg eventually released the KDM-3 in January 2018, and needless to say, I bought one as soon as I could. I’m proud to say that at present I own two of these bad boys—one in my studio and one at home. I’ve been very happy with Korg as they fulfilled some of the things I wrote about. For the benefit of newcomers, here’s my previous wish list for the KDM-3, with additional comments in bold. You can also read my review of the KDM-3 here.

    • Backlit LCD display—unfortunately, this wasn’t implemented on the KDM-3.
    • A push-button number pad AND a rotary dial for inputting speeds. Korg did put a rotary dial on the KDM-3, and you know what, that’s good enough for me. I realized that adding a number pad would have made the metronome even bigger and more cumbersome. Anyway, I prefer the rotary dial.
    • A real metronome and bell sound. Done!
    • A female and/or male voice to count out the beats (Note: some people might see this as a gimmick but I think it’s a nice touch. Moreover it has been featured in Yamaha’s latest Clavinovas) The KDM-3 does include a female voice. However, it sounds very robotic and jarring to my ears. Perhaps they could improve on it for the KDM-4.
    • A choice of colors—black is always in fashion, but how about red, gold, brown, etc? A digital metronome could be the next fashion statement! Korg currently has the KDM-3 in black, white, and brown. Some additional colors would be nice for the KDM-4.
    • A more powerful speaker system compared to the KDM-2. Don’t get me wrong, the KDM-2 is pretty loud, but…oh well. The volume for the KDM-3 is great.
    • The ability to use rechargeable batteries would be nice. Done!
    • A soft carrying pouch or case. The KDM-3 did not come with a soft pouch or case. 

    Here’s my personal wish list for the KDM-4:

    • A backlit LCD display, with the option to turn off if the user prefers.
    • A built-in battery with USB-C charging capability. This would be more convenient than using AAA batteries. I really don’t mind if it adds a bit more weight and/or cost to the metronome.
    • Improve on the female voice. The one on the KDM-3 is, quite frankly, very robotic and cheesy, and hardly any of my students like it.
    • A soft pouch or carrying case. Come on, Korg. You can do this.

  • Want to learn the piano? Read this first

    Go ahead and learn the piano if…

    • You like a challenge. And you have a “never give up” attitude.
    • You are willing to commit some time (preferably daily) to practicing.
    • You accept that learning the piano properly takes a lot of time, effort, and patience.
    • You understand that you will have good days and bad days. Tip: practice more on good days, and practice less on the bad.
    • You already have an instrument to practice on. If not, you are willing to purchase a decent piano, whether acoustic or digital.
    • You can find a good and sympathetic teacher who will guide you on this piano learning journey. Such a teacher will be a valuable asset to you and he or she will be able to motivate and inspire you. Tip: read my reviews.

    Don’t learn the piano if…

    • You dislike and are scared of challenges. And you give up easily.
    • You are not willing to allot time for practice. “I’m too busy” is the most-often heard excuse. Your ship will never sail out of the harbour!
    • You’re an impatient person. And you expect things to always be easy.
    • You’re a procrastinator. Many students keep putting off practicing. I hate to tell you this, but there are no shortcuts to playing the piano well. You have to practice!
    • You don’t want to get a decent instrument to practice on. Forget about learning the piano if you think you can just go to your friend’s house to practice occasionally. You definitely need your own piano!
    • You want to find a teacher who charges the cheapest rates (and probably lives nearby to you) Experienced teachers come at a premium but like everything else, you get what you pay for. It’s usually inexperienced teachers who charge cheap rates to entice would-be students.

  • Korg KDM-3 Digital Metronome Review

    Photo: Korg USA

    Updated on March 1, 2022

    Just as my Korg KDM-2 was giving up the ghost (after using it for more than 10 years) I was browsing for another replacement KDM-2 when lo and behold, I read about the new KDM-3 metronome! Talk about serendipity. Needless to say, I ordered one straightaway.

    In a previous post, I talked about the KDM-2, while in this post I postulated about what I would like to see in the KDM-3. Needless to say, part of my wish list has been fulfilled:

    • The KDM-3 now has an authentic metronome and bell sound, plus 7 other sounds. There is also a female voice which counts the beats.
    • It’s available in black, white or a front wooden finish. Take your pick.
    • I read online that its sound is even louder than that of the KDM-2. I can’t verify this until I get my own unit. EDIT: Yes, the sound is just as loud, if not louder, than the KDM-2.
    • The KDM-3 requires 4 AAA batteries to function. Rechargeable batteries (such as Eneloops) can be used. When the batteries are nearly depleted, a flashing battery icon is displayed on the top left of the LCD display.
    • New in the KDM-3 is a Timer mode. You can program the metronome to stop after a length of time. Useful if you want to start practicing with it but have it stop at a predetermined time.
    • The KDM-3 auto powers off if the unit is not used in 20 minutes. This is great if you forget to power off the unit.
    • Unfortunately, there is still no back-lit display. I also wish Korg would include a pouch or case for it.

    You can get further details of the KDM-3 at Korg’s USA website. I will update this post when I receive mine. Stay tuned.

    EDIT: I received my KDM-3 today and am amazed that it’s so small and cute. It’s certainly less bulky than the KDM-2 and yes, it’s more aesthetically pleasing to look at. The thing I like best in this new KDM-3 is the authentic metronome and bell sound…although the electronic pulse sound from the KDM-2 is included too.

  • My New Studio

    The Good Pianist has moved to a new studio! Don’t worry, it’s still the same address. I have just moved from the 13th floor to the 14th (things are looking up, LOL) After some minor refurbishments, my new studio became operational in mid-April 2021.

    My new studio, which features the Yamaha CLP-675 Clavinova digital piano.

    This new place is brighter and more airy. I decided on the Disney pictures because they were based on music, and they make my studio look happy and inviting. Learning piano doesn’t have to be serious!

    Vincci plays on the CLP-675.
    The comfortable waiting area.

    I like the Yamaha CLP-675 Clavinova because it replicates the sound of the Yamaha CFX Concert Grand and Bosendorfer Imperial pianos, all in one neat and compact package. I am not fond of a teaching studio where you walk in and find a baby grand piano occupying most of the room space. Moreover, the Clavinova is always in tune and digital audio recording is a breeze.

    You can find lots of information in the links at the top of the page. I do hope to welcome you in person soon. Take care and have a wonderful day!

    All pictures were taken with a Canon M50 and an EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens. © 2021 The Good Pianist

  • Intelli IMT-300 Digital Metronome Review

    Photo: Philip Yeoh

    EDIT, FEBRUARY 2023: I sold off my IMT-300 after using it for a few months. It just wasn’t on par with my KDM-3 as far as features and ease of use was concerned. I use two KDM-3 metronomes now, one at home and one in my studio.

    One can never have too many metronomes. Although I own the fantastic Korg KDM-3 digital metronome, I use it primarily in my studio. I needed another one when traveling. I did consider getting another KDM-3, but I felt it wouldn’t do too well in my cramped Peak Design bag.

    I was in Tom Lee Music here in Hong Kong yesterday, and saw this guy, the Intelli IMT-300 metronome. It was priced at $300 HKD versus the Korg KDM-3 at $380 HKD. The IMT-300 is housed in tough plastic and quite solidly-built. It also has a soft case and 9V battery included and being flatter (as opposed to the more traditional metronomic shape of the KDM-3) I reckoned it was easier to put inside my bag while traveling. Enough talk, let’s get on with my first impressions.

    The IMT-300 weighs about 149g with a 9V battery. Its physical dimensions are 14.6cm (H) by 6.2cm (W) by 2.4cm (D). A 3.5mm earphone jack is provided, so is a 1/4″ input for electric guitar.

    IMT-300 Right Side. Photo: Philip Yeoh

    One thing I can say about this metronome—it is LOUD. It has to be the loudest digital metronome I’ve ever heard. Fortunately, a volume control is provided.

    IMT-300 Left Side. Photo: Philip Yeoh

    The main switch is on the left side. It has four settings: Off, Metronome, Tuner, Sound. I use it on the Metronome setting all the time. Players of orchestral instruments can use the Tuner setting to tune their instruments, while the Sound setting outputs a note. What is surprising is that it covers the full range of the piano—all 88 notes, from A0 to B8. I found the main switch a little fiddly to use. There is also a DC9V if you want to use an AC adapter (not included). Sadly, there is no tap tempo feature.

    The Capture M1/M2 stores two metronome settings. For instance, you could store M1 without the bell and M2 with the bell.

    The IMT-300 has a tempo range from 30 to 250 beats per minute. This is adjusted using the center rotary dial. The increments are +1/-1. Unfortunately, there is no option to switch to standard metronome tempo settings (for example, if you wanted to increase the tempo from 80 to 100, you’ll have to scroll by +1 increments all the way from 80 to 100. My Korg KDM-3 allows me to go from 80 » 84 » 88 » 92 » 96 » 100)

    Beats for the “bell” include 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. This is set using the Beat button on the right of the center rotary dial. Different rhythms can be set using the Rhythm button on the left.

    The display is big and clear. However, there is no backlight.

    IMT-300 Back. Photo: Philip Yeoh

    The back houses the 9V battery (included) as well as the speaker. I find putting the speaker facing towards the back a little silly, as it should be facing the front. Fortunately, the metronome’s sound is very loud and you can always pull out the included stand and put it on top of a flat surface. You can see that it’s made in Korea but I couldn’t find their website online.

    Before I end this quick review, let me say that there is a newer IMT-301 available. It costs $50 more and what you get for that is a built-in thermometer and hygrometer. The other stuff is about the same as the IMT-300.

    PROS

    • Quite solidly built
    • Very loud metronome sound
    • Easy to read LCD display
    • 9V battery and soft case included
    • Reasonably priced

    CONS

    • No tap tempo feature
    • Fiddly main switch
    • Battery cover feels fragile. Handle with care!
    • No additional metronome sounds offered
    • No option to use standard incremental metronome settings
    • No backlight

  • Why choose The Good Pianist? (Part 2)

    Note: The views expressed in this post are strictly mine alone.

    Qualifications: Qualifications matter, of course. But in reality, very few people ask about what qualifications I possess. Instead, they are more concerned about how much I charge. For the record, I have the LTCL and FTCL diplomas from Trinity College London. I also have a Bachelor of Music (High Distinction) from the University of Arizona, USA.

    Experience: I have saved the most important for last. Experience is something that can’t be bought, and no one can rush to acquire it. It has to be accumulated through the passage of time; there isn’t any other way. To that end, I’ve been teaching piano for over 35 years now, and I have certainly learnt a lot along the way. I do have a lot of teaching experiences to tell, perhaps in a later post. Suffice to say, I customize my teaching methods to accommodate each and every student. Why? Because every student is different and a good and experienced teacher would treat them as such.

    I’ll end this post by encouraging you to read through the reviews that some of my former students have graciously written for me. It warms me up that I have been able to instill the love of music in them and countless others.

    I look forward to welcoming you to The Good Pianist soon!

    Read my Reviews here