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Online metronome

Set the tempo, choose the time signature and press play. Tap the beats to turn accents on or off, add subdivisions, or let the speed trainer raise the tempo a little at a time.

Tap a beat to change it: accent → normal → silent.

Time signature

Beats per bar 4
Subdivision

Sound

Speed trainer

Add BPM every bars, up to BPM

Runs in your browser. Your files never leave your device.

How to use the metronome

  1. Set the tempo: drag the slider, use the − and + buttons (hold them to go faster) or type the number straight into the BPM box.
  2. Pick the time signature: 4/4 covers most pop, rock and country; 3/4 is the waltz; 6/8 and 12/8 show up in ballads, slow blues and a lot of folk and Latin music.
  3. Press Play. The circles light up one by one, and the first beat of each bar sounds higher.

If you have a song in your head and don't know its tempo, tap the Tap button along with it. After two or three taps the metronome works out the BPM for you.

Accents and silent beats

Each circle is one beat of the bar, and tapping it changes how that beat sounds:

  • Accent (yellow): higher and louder. By default, only beat 1.
  • Normal: the regular click.
  • Silent (dashed): the beat goes by without sound, but its light still flashes.

Silent beats make a great exercise. Leave only beat 1 sounding and try to keep time on your own through the other three: if you land early or late on the next click, you'll hear it right away. Another classic is to accent beats 2 and 4, where the snare drum falls in most popular music.

Subdivisions

A subdivision adds quieter clicks between the beats:

  • Eighths: two clicks per beat. Useful at slow tempos, when the gap between beats feels too long.
  • Triplets: three per beat. For shuffle, blues and ballads in 12/8.
  • Sixteenths: four per beat. For funk grooves, strumming patterns and alternate picking.

What BPM means

BPM stands for beats per minute. At 60 BPM there is one beat per second; at 120 BPM, two per second. The Italian names under the number (Adagio, Andante, Allegro...) are the tempo markings used in sheet music, shown here as a rough guide:

  • Largo: 45 to 65 BPM, very slow.
  • Adagio: 66 to 75 BPM.
  • Andante: 76 to 107 BPM, "at a walking pace".
  • Moderato: around 110 BPM.
  • Allegro: 120 to 155 BPM, fast and bright.
  • Presto: 168 to 200 BPM.

In 6/8 and 12/8 the metronome counts every eighth note as a beat. If the score gives the tempo as a dotted quarter (for example ♩. = 60), multiply by three: 180 BPM in eighths.

Speed trainer

The surest way to learn a hard passage is to start slow and raise the tempo a little at a time. Turn on the Speed trainer and set how much to add and how often. For example: add 5 BPM every 4 bars, up to 140. The metronome speeds up on its own and stops climbing when it reaches the target. If the target is lower than the current tempo, it slows down instead.

Keyboard shortcuts

  • Space: play or stop.
  • Arrow keys: 1 BPM up or down. With Shift, 10.
  • T: tap tempo.

Frequently asked questions

Is the timing accurate?

Yes. The clicks are scheduled on the browser's audio clock, the same kind of clock recording software uses, not on the page's regular timer. So the beat doesn't drift when your computer is busy or when you switch tabs.

Does it work on a phone?

It does. The screen stays on while the metronome plays. On an iPhone, check that the side silent switch is off, because it can mute sound from web pages.

Can I use Bluetooth headphones or a speaker?

You can, but Bluetooth adds a natural audio delay. The beat lights already try to make up for it. For playing along tightly, wired headphones are always better.

Are my settings saved?

They're kept in your browser: tempo, time signature, accents, sound, volume and the speed trainer stay as you left them next time you open the page. Nothing is sent to a server.