In addition to using the metronome to create real, measurable momentum while sight-reading, try it for really making a huge, wonderful difference to reviewing old repertoire!
Most of us hate reviewing. It always feels to me like ripping apart an old garment and remaking it, instead of having the excitement of cutting out a new dress and seeing a lovely, sexy gown take shape. Part of the challenge is wanting to go back to the old, once well-learned piece and play it as nimbly as when we last performed it. Sadly, this doesn't usually happen. We have let it go too long, and our fingers and memory aren't fluent enough to play it well. Tryring to force it to sound like the performance brings frustration and a feeling of needing to relearn the entire thing – and who wants to do that? Once my son, then almost a karate black-belt, did a vigorous work-out after a long hiatus. It took his muscles days to recover from the shock.
So, why not give yourself a break and ease your way back in? Treat it almost like a piece that you're going to sight-read. Put on the metronome at a very easy tempo, far below your performance speed, and give your fingers a chance to re-acquaint themselves with the piece. I was really excited to see that in a day or two, my fingers remembered the pieces very well, without strain or effort.
I hope you will give this a try and let me know how you make out. Happy music making!
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