Online metronome
Set the tempo, or tap it in, and tap Start. The metronome clicks every beat, highest on the first of the bar, and lights the beat you are on, in 4/4, 3/4, 6/8 or any of fourteen time signatures, with the beat split into eighths, triplets or sixteenths if you want.
120 BPM, Allegro: fast and bright
Space starts and stops it, T taps the tempo, and + and − change it.
Opens the free editor with a beat playing. No account needed to start.
How to use the metronome
Set the tempo
Type the BPM, nudge it with − and +, slide it, or tap Tap tempo on each beat of a song to take its tempo.
Pick the time signature
The lights show each beat of the bar. In 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8 a beat is a dotted quarter note, three eighths; in 5/8 and 7/8 the eighths fall in groups.
Split the beat if you want
Under Clicks, add soft clicks between the beats: eighth notes, triplets or sixteenth notes, to keep a fast or uneven passage even.
Start, and play along
Tap Start (or press Space). The first beat of the bar clicks highest. Change anything while it plays: it carries on from the next beat.
To find the tempo of a song by tapping along, there is the tap tempo page.
Time signatures on the metronome
The top number counts the notes in a bar and the bottom one says which note: 4/4 is four quarter notes, 6/8 six eighth notes. The metronome clicks each beat and counts the tempo in beats; in 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8 the eighths fall in threes, so a beat is a dotted quarter note.
Each one opens its own page, with how to count it and the music it is heard in.
| Time signature | Beats | A beat is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/4 (common time) | 4 | A quarter note | 1 2 3 4 |
| 3/4 (waltz time) | 3 | A quarter note | 1 2 3 |
| 2/4 (march time) | 2 | A quarter note | 1 2 |
| 5/4 | 5 | A quarter note | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| 6/4 | 6 | A quarter note | 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
| 7/4 | 7 | A quarter note | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
| 2/2 (cut time) | 2 | A half note | 1 2 |
| 3/2 | 3 | A half note | 1 2 3 |
| 6/8 (2 beats of 3) | 2 | A dotted quarter note | 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
| 9/8 (3 beats of 3) | 3 | A dotted quarter note | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
| 12/8 (4 beats of 3) | 4 | A dotted quarter note | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 |
| 3/8 | 3 | An eighth note | 1 2 3 |
| 5/8 (3 + 2) | 5 | An eighth note | 1 2 3 1 2 |
| 7/8 (2 + 2 + 3) | 7 | An eighth note | 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 |
What a time signature is and how to read one are on the time signatures page.
Tempo markings in BPM
The Italian words on sheet music, each with the tempos usually given for it. The metronome names the one its tempo is in.
| Marking | BPM | Means |
|---|---|---|
| Grave | 20–39 | Very slow and solemn |
| Largo | 40–59 | Broad and very slow |
| Larghetto | 60–65 | Fairly slow |
| Adagio | 66–75 | Slow, at ease |
| Andante | 76–107 | At a walking pace |
| Moderato | 108–119 | Moderate |
| Allegro | 120–155 | Fast and bright |
| Vivace | 156–175 | Lively and fast |
| Presto | 176–199 | Very fast |
| Prestissimo | 200–300 | As fast as it goes |
Questions about the metronome
How do I use the online metronome?
Set the tempo, pick a time signature and tap Start. It clicks every beat, highest on the first beat of the bar, and lights the beat you are on. Nothing to install and no account needed.
Can I tap the tempo in?
Yes. Tap Tap tempo on each beat of the music, or press T. After three taps the metronome takes the tempo, and it settles as you keep tapping. Stop for two seconds to start a new count.
How does the metronome count 6/8?
As two beats of three: it clicks the two dotted quarter notes you feel, each split into three eighth notes, the first beat highest. The tempo counts the dotted quarters, so 6/8 at 60 BPM plays 180 eighth notes a minute. Pick Dotted quarters under Clicks to hear the two beats alone.
What do the different clicks mean?
The first beat of the bar clicks highest, the other beats lower, and the clicks a beat splits into lowest and softest, so you always hear where the bar starts. In 5/8 and 7/8 the first eighth of each group is a beat.
Does the metronome work on my phone?
Yes, in the phone’s browser, with nothing to install. Tap Start, turn the volume up, and keep the page open while you play.
What tempo should I practise at?
One slow enough to play the passage cleanly, often 60 to 80 percent of the tempo you want. When it is clean three times in a row, go up 4 or 5 BPM, and keep going until you reach the tempo.
Play along with a beat
Open the free editor with a beat at 120 BPM playing, then add a melody, a bass line or your voice, part by part. No account needed to start.
Keep going
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