Online Metronome plays a steady beat from 20 to 300 BPM for practice, rehearsal or recording. Set the tempo by number or by tapping, choose a time signature and subdivisions, and pick a click sound. Each click is timed on the browser’s audio clock, so the beat does not drift.
How to use the metronome
- Set the tempo with the slider, the − and + buttons, or type a number. The Italian tempo name updates as you go.
- Or click Tap tempo in time with a song to match its speed.
- Choose the time signature and, if you like, a subdivision such as Eighth notes or Triplets.
- Pick a sound and set the volume.
- Click Start. The lights show each beat. Accent the first beat is on by default, so bar one stands out.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Start or stop |
| Up or Right arrow | Faster by 1 BPM (Shift: 10) |
| Down or Left arrow | Slower by 1 BPM (Shift: 10) |
| T | Tap tempo |
Tempo names
| Name | About | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Grave, Largo | under 66 BPM | Very slow and broad |
| Larghetto, Adagio | 66–107 BPM | Slow, relaxed |
| Andante | 108–119 BPM | Walking pace |
| Moderato | 120–155 BPM | Moderate |
| Allegro | 156–175 BPM | Fast and bright |
| Vivace, Presto | 176 BPM and up | Lively to very fast |
Composers and teachers use slightly different ranges, so treat the name as a guide and trust the number.
Time signatures and subdivisions
You can choose 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8 and 12/8. 4/4 fits most pop, rock and jazz. 3/4 is the waltz. 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8 group the beat in threes, common in ballads, folk and blues shuffles. 5/4 and 7/8 are odd meters used in progressive rock and Balkan music. Choose 1/4 if you only want a click on every beat without bars.
Subdivisions add softer clicks between the main beats:
- Beats only: one click per beat.
- Eighth notes: two per beat, for strumming patterns and steady eighths.
- Triplets: three per beat, for swing and shuffle feels.
- Sixteenth notes: four per beat, for fast runs, drum fills and funk.
Sounds
Choose Click, Woodblock, Beep or Cowbell. A sharp click cuts through a quiet room; woodblock is softer for long practice; beep and cowbell are easier to hear over drums or an amplifier. With Accent the first beat ticked, the first beat of each bar is louder, so you always know where “one” falls.
How to practise with a metronome
- Start slow. Play a hard passage at a tempo where you make no mistakes, then raise it by 4 to 8 BPM at a time.
- Feel it on 2 and 4. In jazz and funk, set half the tempo and treat the clicks as beats 2 and 4.
- Use subdivisions for fast parts. Hearing every eighth or sixteenth note makes uneven notes obvious.
- Turn it off sometimes. Play a section without the click, then turn it back on to check whether you sped up.
- Match a song. Tap along with a recording to find its tempo, then practise to the same BPM.
More music tools
Tune first with the Guitar Tuner. To practise along with a recording at a slower speed, use Change Audio Speed, and record yourself with the Voice Recorder to hear how you are doing.
Private by design
The metronome runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded and no microphone is needed. See how it works.