ARTIST FEATURE: Classical guitarist Mateusz Kowalski, the youngest ever elected professor at any university of music in Poland, the winner of the prestigious EuroStrings Guitar Competition and an advocate for Polish music on guitar, has joined us this week for our regular artist feature. Check out what he has to say about rhythm and time in music!

1) Why is rhythm important?

Rhythm is primal, it’s the foundation of music. It’s important because it organizes a sound matter in time. Rhythm is a way of fighting against chaos, which we try to escape from, both in art and our lives. That makes the rhythm extremely humane.

2) How do you practice your rhythm and sense of time?

I practice a lot with a metronome. I regularly record myself playing and then I check if what I hear in the recording is in line with how I would like it to be sung or danced.

3) What are your favorite rhythmic exercises?

I love to practice with metronome starting from Largo, gradually increasing it up to Prestissimo. It helps me to continuously exceed my limits. In addition, I enjoy practicing rhythmical phrases of various lengths – from few-note-long motifs to a few-bar-long musical sentences.

4) Can you name one thing that you like about the metronome on Metronome Online?

I particularly appreciate the woodblock sounds, which the Metronome Online offers. They fit the sound of a guitar very well, and they don’t make you feel tired, even after a relatively long practice session.

VIDEO: Ready to be dazzled by the classical guitar gymnastics?! Look no further and click on the video below for a spectacular performance of Stepan Rak’s Hora played by Mateusz.