Why practise with a metronome?
A metronome gives you an honest, steady beat. Most players speed up in easy bars and slow down in difficult ones without noticing. Playing with a click shows you exactly where that happens, and it builds the internal sense of time that lets you play with other musicians, drummers and recordings. It is also the safest way to build speed: master a passage slowly, then raise the tempo a few beats at a time.
How to use this metronome
- Set the tempo with the slider, the ± buttons or by typing a number. BPM means beats per minute: 60 BPM is one click per second.
- Choose beats per bar to match the time signature — 4 for most pop and rock (4/4), 3 for waltzes (3/4), 6 for 6/8 ballads felt in two.
- Keep Accent beat 1 on to hear a higher click on the first beat of each bar, so you never lose your place.
- Subdivision adds quieter clicks between beats. Eighth notes are great for strumming down-up patterns; triplets help with shuffle and swing feels.
- Use Tap tempo to tap along with a song and set the BPM to match it.
Is it accurate?
Yes. Simple web metronomes use JavaScript timers, which can drift or stutter when the page is busy. This one schedules every click in advance on the Web Audio clock, which runs on the audio hardware with sample accuracy. The visual dots follow the audio, not the other way round, so even if animation stutters the sound stays rock-steady.
Tempo markings
Classical scores describe tempo with Italian words. The metronome shows the matching term as you change speed:
| Marking | Meaning | Approx. BPM |
|---|---|---|
| Largo | Broad, very slow | 40–60 |
| Adagio | Slow, at ease | 66–76 |
| Andante | Walking pace | 76–108 |
| Moderato | Moderate | 108–120 |
| Allegro | Fast, bright | 120–156 |
| Vivace / Presto | Lively / very fast | 156–200 |
A simple speed-building routine
- Find a tempo where you can play the passage cleanly three times in a row. Be honest — that might be 60 BPM.
- Raise the tempo by 4–5 BPM and repeat.
- When you make mistakes, drop back 10 BPM, play it clean, and finish the session there.
- The next day, start about 10 BPM below yesterday's best. You'll usually pass it within a few days.
For strumming, set eighth-note subdivision and say “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” out loud, with down strums on the numbers and up strums on the “&”s. Our strumming patterns guide builds on exactly this.
Frequently asked questions
What BPM is a typical pop song?
Most pop and rock songs sit between 90 and 130 BPM. Ballads are often 60–80, and dance music is usually 120–128.
Why can I not hear the click on my phone?
Phones block audio until you tap something on the page, and silent mode may mute web audio on iPhone. Press Start after turning the ringer on, and turn up the media volume.
What time signature should I choose?
Count along with the song. If the pattern repeats every four beats (1-2-3-4), choose 4. If it feels like 1-2-3, 1-2-3, choose 3. Slow songs that feel like ONE-and-a TWO-and-a are often 6/8; choose 6 beats, or 2 beats with triplet subdivision.
Does it keep running in the background?
Browsers may slow down timers in background tabs. Keep the metronome tab visible while you practise for the most reliable timing.