Before Answering the question whether to buy a metronome or not,

Ask Yourself This Question First:

Have This Ever Happened To You?

You're full of confidence when you step up on stage for your gig. You've practiced, you know the songs...and then it happens. You flub a riff, then you get a little flustered and you blow your solo. Maybe you cover it up somewhat so that not many people notice...but suddenly you've gone from being Eddie van Halen to Elmer Fudd.

And it happened because your practice system...

1. Never stretches or pushes your skills ABOVE AND BEYOND what you need onstage

2. Doesn't introduce any new tricks or techniques into your repertoire

3. Is just plain boring...it's the same old stuff you've played for the last 2 years

4. You didn't buy a metronome.. or You don't have one..

You'll Need A Fun Way To Practice..

You Need To Know The Secret Of Having Fun While Practice..

You Need To Have An Effective Way Of Practicing..

And the solution?

You'll Need A Metronome.. Not those free ones which only had limited features.. You'll need to buy a Metronome, a powerful one, the Metronome which offers you a lot features for a very small price.

...is what advertisers will say anyways. But, I don't really oppose to the idea of " buy a metronome ". In fact, I think it's a very good idea!

Why?

Well, a quick research on Wikipedia reveals that:

"A metronome is any device that produces a regulated audible and/or visual pulse, usually used to establish a steady beat, or tempo, measured in beats-per-minute (BPM) for the performance of musical compositions. It is an invaluable practice tool for musicians that goes back hundreds of years." -Wikipedia

Why is it invaluable? Of course, because counting properly and sensing rhythm is a cornerstone of music! Guess you know that.

Furthermore, check this out to see if you need to see the importance to buy a metronome..

"Before the invention of the torture device called metronome, musicians had to rely completely on their inner pulse, which today fewer people seem to possess. All of us have it built in: our heartbeat" -

Well, I guess if you're just playin' for fun (or not really playing)OR you have the "Inner Ability", you won't be needing a metronome. But, if you do want to take your music skills to the next level, you will need to buy a metronome.

Downloading some free ones are okay, but you'll need to buy a metronome to get the best ones. But, you can get some very high quality metronomes, such as the The Ultimate Metronome at a very low price.

Well, that's all I guess. Go find the best, cheapest metronome you could find on the net. Buying a physical one is good too. And, if you do find a good metronome on the net, you should buy a metronome with money-back guarantee first so that you can test and check if they're good for you or not. So, good luck in being a pro musician! =)