Metronome
A free metronome online with accents on any beat, subdivisions, tap to set the tempo, a speed trainer and a practice timer.
If the target is below the start tempo, the trainer slows down instead.
Keyboard: Space start and stop, ↑ ↓ (or ← →) change by 1 BPM, with Shift by 5, T taps the tempo. Click a beat light to switch it between accent, normal and mute.
How to use the metronome
This metronome online keeps a steady beat from 20 to 400 BPM in any time signature: press Start or Space, set the tempo with the slider, buttons or arrow keys, and add accents, subdivisions, a count-in, a speed trainer or a practice timer. This online metronome keeps time on your device's audio clock, so the clicks stay steady even when the page is busy. Press Start or the Space bar. Set the tempo with the slider, the − and + buttons (hold them to change quickly), the BPM box, or the arrow keys: Up and Down change it by 1 BPM, and with Shift by 5. The range is 20 to 400 BPM.
Do not know the tempo? Press Tap (or the T key) in time with the music four or more times and the metronome takes that tempo. For a larger tap pad with a steadiness reading, use the tap tempo page and send the result here; for a song you have as a file, the BPM finder reads the tempo from it.
The dots in the dark panel are the beats of one bar. Click a dot to switch it between accent (large dot, higher click), normal and mute (hollow, silent). Big flash makes the whole panel flash on each beat, which helps drummers and anyone playing loud. Count-in bar plays one bar before the counting starts. Your settings are kept in this browser for next time.
How to practise with a metronome
- Start slow. Pick a tempo where you can play the passage cleanly every time, even if it feels far too slow.
- Play it right three times in a row, then raise the tempo by 2 to 5 BPM. If it falls apart, go back to the last tempo that worked.
- Use the speed trainer to do this for you: switch it on and set, for example, add 4 BPM every 4 bars up to 140. The tempo changes exactly on the bar line.
- Mute some beats. Leave only beat 1 sounding (mute the others), or only beats 2 and 4, and keep the time yourself in the gaps. This shows quickly whether you rush or drag.
- Set the practice timer (Stop after) so short, focused sessions end on their own.
Tune up before you start: the tuner works with any instrument. To check how evenly you place each note, the rhythm trainer scores your taps in milliseconds.
Tempo markings and BPM
Written music often gives the tempo as an Italian word rather than a number. The ranges below are approximate. They come from the Wikipedia article on tempo, which says the values are very rough and vary a lot between composers and works. The metronome shows the nearest marking under the BPM as a guide.
| Marking | Meaning | About (BPM) |
|---|---|---|
| Grave | very slow and solemn | 24 to 40 |
| Largo | slow and broad | 40 to 66 |
| Lento | slow | 40 to 60 |
| Adagio | slow with great expression | 44 to 66 |
| Andante | at a walking pace, moderately slow | 56 to 108 |
| Moderato | at a moderate speed | 108 to 120 |
| Allegretto | moderately fast | 112 to 120 |
| Allegro | fast and bright | 120 to 156 |
| Vivace | lively and fast | 156 to 176 |
| Presto | very fast | 168 to 200 |
| Prestissimo | extremely fast | 200 and over |
Time signatures and subdivisions
The top number of a time signature is how many beats are in a bar; the bottom number is the note that gets one beat (2 = half note, 4 = quarter note, 8 = eighth note). Pick a common one from the chips, or set any number of beats from 1 to 12 and the beat unit yourself.
In 3/4 you count 1 2 3, as in a waltz. In 6/8 there are six eighth notes felt as two groups of three, so the metronome accents beats 1 and 4; 9/8 and 12/8 get an accent at the start of each group of three in the same way. In odd meters such as 5/4 or 7/8 the grouping depends on the music (for example 2+3 or 3+2), so click the dots to put the accents where your piece has them. The BPM always counts the beat unit you chose.
Subdivisions add quieter clicks between the beats: 8ths split each beat in two, Triplets in three and 16ths in four. Use them to place fast notes evenly and to hear whether you lean ahead of the beat.
Metronome with drum beats
Some players find it easier to lock in with a groove than a click. The online drums page has a step sequencer with basic rock, pop and hip-hop style patterns you can play at any tempo from 40 to 240 BPM, with swing. It also works as a drum machine to practise over.
More for timing: Tap Tempo · BPM Finder · Rhythm Trainer · Drums
Running to a beat? Use the Running cadence calculator.
Questions
What BPM should I practise at?
Start at the tempo where you can play the passage cleanly, even if that is half the target speed, and raise it a few BPM at a time. The speed trainer can raise it for you every few bars.
How do I set 6/8 on the metronome?
Press the 6/8 chip. The metronome clicks six eighth notes per bar with accents on beats 1 and 4. If you want to feel it in two, set 2 beats with a Triplets subdivision instead and set the BPM to the dotted quarter note.
Is this online metronome accurate?
The clicks are scheduled ahead of time on the browser's audio clock, not on a screen timer, so the spacing between clicks does not drift when the page is busy. In a background tab it schedules further ahead so it keeps going.
Can I use it with headphones or a speaker?
Yes. The sound goes to whatever your device plays through. If the click and the flash seem out of step with wireless headphones, turn on Big flash and trust the sound, or use wired headphones.
Does it work offline or need an account?
There is no account and nothing to install. Once the page has loaded it makes all its sounds in the browser.