About the Metronome
A metronome plays a steady pulse so you can practice in time. This online metronome schedules every click ahead of time on the browser’s Web Audio clock, so the beat stays steady even when the page is busy or you switch tabs. No download or sign-up: use it right away for piano, guitar, drums, wind instruments or singing.
Choose any tempo from 20 to 300 BPM. Your last BPM, time signature, sound and volume are saved on this device and restored next time.
How to use
- Set the BPM with the slider, the −/+ buttons or the input box. Don’t know a song’s tempo? Press Tap tempo four or more times along with the beat.
- Choose a time signature (4/4, 3/4, 6/8 …) and, if you like, a subdivision to add eighth-note, triplet or sixteenth-note clicks.
- Press Start or the space bar. The dots light up on each beat and the first beat of the bar is a higher click.
- Raise the tempo step by step as you improve. A BPM change while playing takes effect from the very next click.
What is BPM?
BPM (beats per minute) is the number of beats in one minute. At 60 BPM there is one beat per second, at 120 BPM one beat every half second. The gap between beats in seconds is 60 ÷ BPM. In meters with a 4 at the bottom (4/4, 3/4) the quarter note gets the beat. In this metronome 6/8, 7/8, 9/8 and 12/8 click on every eighth note and the BPM refers to eighth notes. If you feel 6/8 in two (dotted quarters), multiply that tempo by 3: dotted quarter = 60 → set 180 BPM.
Tempo markings chart
| Marking | Meaning | BPM (in this tool) |
|---|---|---|
| Grave | very slow and solemn | 20–39 |
| Largo | very slow and broad | 40–59 |
| Larghetto | a little faster than largo | 60–65 |
| Adagio | slow, at ease | 66–75 |
| Andante | at a walking pace | 76–107 |
| Moderato | moderately | 108–119 |
| Allegro | fast and bright | 120–167 |
| Presto | very fast | 168–199 |
| Prestissimo | as fast as possible | 200+ |
Tempo ranges vary between eras, editions and metronome makers; the table shows common approximate values.
Practice tips
- Start slow. Begin at a tempo you can play cleanly, and after three clean run-throughs raise it by 2–5 BPM.
- Use subdivisions. For sixteenth-note runs, turn on the 16ths click so every note lands evenly.
- Put the click on 2 and 4. For jazz, funk and pop, halve the BPM and hear the clicks as the backbeat—great for groove.
- Test your inner clock. Mute the volume for a few bars, keep playing, then bring it back and see whether you drifted.
FAQ
How does tap tempo work?
Tap the button four or more times along with the music. The metronome averages the gaps between your taps and sets the BPM. Pause for more than 2 seconds and it starts a new measurement.
What does the BPM count in 6/8?
Here, in x/8 meters every eighth note is one click and the BPM counts eighth notes. 6/8 is grouped 3+3 and 7/8 as 2+2+3, with a light accent on the first click of each group.
There’s no sound on my phone.
On iPhone, web audio may be muted while the silent switch is on. Turn off silent mode, turn up the media volume and press Start again.
Does the timing stay accurate in a background tab?
Clicks are scheduled about 0.1 s ahead on the browser’s audio clock, so screen updates don’t affect timing. Some phones may pause audio when the screen turns off or the browser goes to the background.