When learning to play an instrument it is very important that you can stick to the beat, a metronome will help with this. When practising a metronome is the best way to make sure that you can stick on the beat for longer periods of time. Also when learning more complex timings a metronome is the best tool to use. Metronomes are available in both mechanical and electrical models, this way there is a metronome to suit anyone's needs.