How to find a song's BPM
Play the song and tap on every beat — the pulse you'd naturally nod your head or tap your foot to. After two taps you'll see a first estimate; keep going for eight or more taps and the number settles. The counter averages your most recent twelve taps, so a single early or late tap doesn't throw it off. Pause for more than two and a half seconds and it starts a fresh measurement.
Half or double? If you get 70 for a song that feels fast, you may be tapping every other beat; the real tempo is probably 140. If you get 180 for a ballad, you're probably tapping eighth notes — try 90. Tap where the snare drum lands on beats 2 and 4 and you'll usually be right.
Why tempo matters for guitarists
- Practising along: set the metronome to the song's tempo, then slow it down 20–30% to learn the strumming or riff before playing with the recording.
- Setlists: knowing the BPM of each song helps a band count songs in at the right speed instead of rushing from nerves.
- Effects: delay pedals sound best when echoes line up with the beat.
Delay times explained
The table under the BPM shows how long each note value lasts in milliseconds. The formula is simple: one quarter-note beat lasts 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds. At 120 BPM a beat lasts 500 ms, an eighth note 250 ms, and a dotted eighth 375 ms.
The dotted-eighth delay is famous for the shimmering, “galloping” rhythmic echo used in a lot of rock and worship music: you play steady eighth notes and the echoes fill the spaces between them. Set your delay to the dotted-eighth value shown, mix it at around 30–40%, and use two or three repeats.
Tempo ranges of popular styles
| Style | Typical BPM |
|---|---|
| Slow ballad | 60–80 |
| Reggae, hip-hop | 70–100 |
| Folk / acoustic pop | 90–120 |
| Rock, pop-punk | 110–170 |
| House / dance | 120–128 |
| Drum & bass | 160–180 |
How accurate is tapping?
Human taps vary by roughly 10–30 milliseconds each. Averaging over many taps cancels most of that out, so after about ten taps the result is normally within 1 BPM of the true tempo. Live recordings that speed up or slow down will show the tempo changing as you tap, which can itself be useful to know.
Frequently asked questions
How many times should I tap?
At least eight taps. Accuracy improves up to about twelve taps; after that the counter keeps a rolling average of the latest twelve.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes. Tap the big circle with your thumb. It responds on touch-down, which is more accurate than waiting for the finger to lift.
Why does my BPM jump around?
Usually because a tap was early or late, or because the song itself changes tempo. Keep tapping steadily and the average settles. Press Reset if you lost the beat.