A Clean Tone

A brass handheld metronome stood unattended atop the polished mahogany lid of the upright piano. I approached with measured tread across the floorboards and scaled the sturdy velvet-topped bench to inspect the apparatus. Its slender silver pendulum rested pinned beneath the brass catch clasp, frozen mid-beat. I stood upright, evaluating the tension of the coiled internal mainspring. With rigid deliberation, I raised my right arm, nudged the clasp clear, and gave the weighted bob a singular, calculated tap. The arm swung wide, ticking out a clean, rhythmic cadence across the quiet parlor before returning to center as I held the counterweight still. The tempo has been verified.