Nightowl I only use the metronome to solve specific problems. Usually I use it to slow myself down, because sometimes slow practice can whack-a-mole "random" mistakes.* I use it to click up if I'm trying to bring a piece up to speed a little at a time. If I could not play a steady rhythm, I might use it to help me find a pulse, then start eliminating beats to wean off the metronome (like having it only beat on 1). But if I'm not trying to solve a specific problem, I leave it off.
I use a free metronome on my phone. I can adjust the volume, the tempo, the sound of the clicks, the number of clicks, different sound for different beats, all kinds of stuff. And it has several kinds of visual beats if you don't want the sound. There are several available on my phone's app store, so if you have a smart phone, voila! Metronome.
But if a metronome doesn't work for you, maybe something else will, like putting a song on using YouTube that has the tempo you want, and tap somewhere on your body until you feel the pulse. There's usually another way to do things, because we're all different.
Good luck with the polka!
- My natural tempo is fast. So is my resting heart rate. A second data point for your theory. Also, my tempo is even faster in a lesson, because I walk there and my heart rate is up from the exercise! I actually had a teacher say that this is a thing, so I don't think you're alone in believing there's a connection.
