Metronome

An online metronome that marks each beat at the tempo you set, with a sound and a light on screen. Use it to keep a steady tempo while practising an instrument or singing.

How to use

1. Set the tempo with the slider, the −5, −1, +1 and +5 buttons or the number box. You can also press "Tap" several times along with a song.
2. Choose a meter such as 4/4, 3/4 or 6/8 under "Time signature", or choose "Custom" to set the beats per bar and the beat unit.
3. Press "Start": the beats sound and the dots light up in turn. The Space key also starts and stops it.
4. If needed, add clicks between beats with "Subdivision" and change the "Sound" and "Volume". Press a dot to change its accent.

How it works

• The tempo range is 20 to 300 BPM. BPM is the number of beat-unit notes per minute, and the time between beats in seconds is 60 ÷ BPM.
• Clicks are scheduled ahead on the audio clock, so short delays in the page do not shift the beats. The screen stays on while it plays.
• The tempo marking under the number (Andante, Allegro and so on) is approximate. Settings are saved in this browser.

Questions and answers

How fast is 60 BPM?

One beat per second. At 120 BPM there are two beats per second, 0.5 seconds apart.

How do I set a metronome for 6/8 time?

Choose 6/8 under "Time signature". Each eighth note is one beat, so a bar has six clicks with accents on beats one and four, and the BPM counts eighth notes.

How do I find the tempo of a song?

Press "Tap" four or five times in time with the music; the BPM is set from the average gap between taps. The T key does the same.

Can I turn off the accent or silence a beat?

Switch off "Play accents" to make every beat the same. Each press on a dot changes it from strong to medium to normal to silent, and "Default accents" restores the pattern.