How to use the online metronome
- Set the tempo with the slider, the plus and minus buttons, or by typing a BPM value.
- Or press Tap tempo (or the T key) along with a song to set the BPM from your taps.
- Choose a time signature, a subdivision such as eighths or triplets, and a click, woodblock or beep sound.
- Press Start or hit Space. The beat lights show where you are in the bar.
What you can do with Metronome
- 30 to 300 BPM
- Adjust in single-BPM steps. The Italian tempo marking, from Largo to Prestissimo, is shown under the number.
- Tap tempo
- Tap at least twice to set the BPM from the average of your recent taps; a pause over two seconds starts fresh.
- Time signatures and accents
- Choose 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8 or 7/8. The downbeat is accented, with secondary accents for the groupings in 6/8 and 7/8.
- Beat subdivisions
- Add quieter clicks for eighth notes, triplets or sixteenths to lock in your inner pulse at slow tempos.
- Steady timing
- Clicks are scheduled ahead on the Web Audio clock instead of plain timers, so the beat stays even when the page is busy.
- Three click sounds
- Switch between a sharp click, a woodblock and a beep, with a volume slider for quiet practice.
Metronome tempo markings, BPM ranges and compound meter
BPM means beats per minute. As a rough guide, ballads sit around 60 to 80 BPM, pop and rock around 100 to 130, house music around 120 to 128, and drum and bass around 170 to 175. Classical tempo markings map onto these ranges too: this metronome labels Adagio from 66 BPM, Andante from 76, Moderato from 108, Allegro from 120 and Presto from 176. When learning a hard passage, start at a tempo where you can play it cleanly, then raise it by 4 or 5 BPM at a time.
In 6/8 and 7/8 the BPM counts each eighth note, so 6/8 at 180 BPM has the same feel as two dotted-quarter beats at 60. The secondary accents mark the groupings: beat 4 in 6/8 (3+3) and beats 3 and 5 in 7/8 (2+2+3). Subdivisions help at slow tempos and against rushing: at 60 BPM, sixteenths give you four clicks per beat to fill the gap. You can turn off the first-beat accent for an even pulse, and the metronome keeps playing if you switch tabs.
Frequently asked questions
Is this online metronome accurate?
Yes. Each click is scheduled in advance on the Web Audio API's audio clock, which runs independently of page rendering, so timing stays stable even if your device is busy. The beat lights may lag slightly on slow devices, but the sound stays on time.
How does tap tempo work?
Press the Tap tempo button or the T key in time with the music. From the second tap, the metronome calculates the BPM from the average interval of up to your last eight taps. Stop for more than two seconds and the next tap starts a new measurement.
Can I use the metronome on my phone?
Yes. It works in mobile Safari and Chrome. On iPhone, make sure silent mode is off, since it can mute web audio, and keep the screen on for the most reliable playback during long practice sessions.
What does the BPM mean in 6/8 time?
In 6/8 and 7/8 this metronome clicks every eighth note, so the BPM refers to eighth notes. If your sheet music gives a dotted-quarter tempo for 6/8, multiply it by three: dotted quarter = 60 means 180 BPM here.
Does the metronome need an internet connection?
Only to load the page. All click sounds are synthesized live in your browser rather than downloaded, so once the page is open the metronome keeps working even if your connection drops.