Using the metronome
Type a tempo in the box, press − or + (hold to repeat), drag the slider or use the keyboard, then press Start or the space bar. Tempo is in beats per minute (BPM): at 60 there is one click a second. The word under the number is the traditional Italian name for that speed.
Each light is one beat of the bar. The first beat is accented by default. Press any light to step that beat through normal, accent, strong and silent, and the change applies while it plays. Tap tempo sets the speed from your taps; the tap tempo page explains how.
Tempo names
These are the BPM ranges commonly quoted for each word. They are approximate: sources disagree, the ranges overlap, and composers used the words loosely. Where they overlap, the tool names the faster word.
| Name | BPM (approx.) | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Grave | 25–45 | very slow and solemn |
| Largo | 40–60 | slow and broad |
| Larghetto | 60–66 | rather broad |
| Adagio | 66–76 | slow and at ease |
| Andante | 76–108 | at a walking pace |
| Moderato | 108–120 | moderate |
| Allegro | 120–156 | fast and bright |
| Vivace | 156–176 | lively and fast |
| Presto | 168–200 | very fast |
| Prestissimo | 200+ | as fast as it goes |
Time signatures and subdivisions
The top number of a time signature is how many beats make a bar, and the accented click marks beat one. In 6/8 and 12/8 the beat is a dotted quarter note, so those bars have two and four beats, each made of three eighth notes. Switch on Triplets to hear all of them. In 7/8 the tempo counts single eighth notes, accented here as 2 + 2 + 3, and 5/4 is grouped 3 + 2. Choose Custom beats for any bar from one to twelve beats.
Subdivisions add quieter clicks between the beats: eighths split each beat in two, triplets in three and sixteenths in four. They show where the notes between the beats belong.
How to practise with a metronome
- Start slower than you think you need. Pick a tempo where you can play the passage cleanly, every time.
- Raise it a few BPM at a time, and only once the current speed is comfortable. If mistakes return, step back.
- Subdivide when your rhythm drifts. Eighths or sixteenths give you something to land on.
- Accent the weak beats. Press the lights to make beats two and four stronger, or silence beat one, so the click supports the rhythm you are working on instead of just marking the downbeat.
- Drop beats out. Silence some beats and see whether you are still in time when the click returns.
- Use the practice timer to stop after a set number of minutes, and the count-in to start with the click.
Accuracy and background tabs
Clicks are not fired from a timer. The page schedules each one ahead of time on the audio clock, and the audio system plays it at that exact moment, so a busy page does not make a click late. Browsers can slow the timers of a hidden tab, so while it is hidden the schedule looks further ahead to ride through. A tempo change made in a hidden tab can take a moment to be heard. For the steadiest timing keep the tab visible, ideally in its own window.
Wireless headphones add a constant delay. The clicks stay evenly spaced but arrive late against anything you play live, so for timing practice use wired headphones or the device speaker.
More timing tools
Track practice by subject with the study stopwatch, or structure drills as work and rest with the interval timer.
Questions
How do I use an online metronome?
Set a tempo in beats per minute, choose a time signature, and press Start or the space bar. The accented click marks the first beat of each bar. Change the tempo while it plays with the plus and minus buttons, the slider or the keyboard, and press any beat light to make that beat stronger, softer or silent.
What does BPM mean on a metronome?
BPM is beats per minute: how many clicks you hear in sixty seconds. At 60 BPM there is one click a second and at 120 BPM there are two. In 6/8 and 12/8 this metronome counts dotted-quarter-note beats, the way those pieces are usually counted, rather than every eighth note.
What BPM should I practise at?
There is no single right number. Choose a tempo where you can play the passage cleanly and evenly, even if it feels slow, then raise it a few BPM at a time. If mistakes come back, drop a step. The marking in the score, or a recording you are learning from, shows the tempo to work towards.
Why does the click sound late with Bluetooth headphones?
Wireless headphones add a delay between the browser producing sound and your ears hearing it. The clicks still arrive evenly spaced, but they lag behind anything you play live. For timing practice, use wired headphones or the device speaker, and keep the volume where you can hear the click over your instrument.
Does the metronome keep time when I switch tabs?
Mostly. Clicks are scheduled ahead on the audio clock, so a busy page does not make them late, and the scheduler looks further ahead while the tab is hidden. Browsers can still slow background tabs, so a tempo change made while hidden may take a moment to be heard. For the steadiest timing, keep the tab visible.
Is the metronome free, and does it work on a phone?
Yes, it is free and runs in your browser with no sign-up or install. On a phone, press Start once so the browser allows sound, and check the media volume and the ringer or silent switch if you hear nothing. The screen stays awake while it plays on browsers that support that.