Online Metronome
Pick a tempo and time signature and press Start: every beat gets a click and a dot. Not sure of the tempo? Tap along to a song to find its BPM.
How to use the online metronome
- Set the tempo from 40 to 240 BPM with the slider or the − and + buttons, or press Tap tempo a few times in time with a song.
- Choose 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 or 6/8. The first beat of each bar plays a higher click unless you switch the accent off.
- Press Start. Browsers only allow sound after a tap, and the metronome stops when you switch to another tab or app.
Tempo markings and BPM
Italian tempo words such as largo, andante and allegro are guides, not fixed numbers. Wikipedia’s “Tempo” article lists rough ranges for 4/4 time and notes that they vary widely between composers and works, which is why its ranges overlap. This metronome shows exactly one marking for every BPM, as in the last column.
| Marking | Meaning | Wikipedia (BPM) | Shown here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largo | Very slow, broad | 40–66 | 40–59 |
| Larghetto | Rather slow | 44–66 | 60–65 |
| Adagio | Slow | 44–66 | 66–75 |
| Andante | Walking pace | 56–108 | 76–107 |
| Moderato | Moderate | 108–120 | 108–119 |
| Allegro | Fast | 120–156 | 120–155 |
| Vivace | Lively | 156–176 | 156–175 |
| Presto | Very fast | 168–200 | 176–199 |
| Prestissimo | As fast as possible | 200+ | 200–240 |
BPM and beat length
BPM means beats per minute, so one beat lasts 60 ÷ BPM seconds. At 60 BPM you hear one click per second; at 120 BPM, two.
| BPM | One beat | One 4/4 bar |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 1.5 s | 6 s |
| 60 | 1 s | 4 s |
| 80 | 0.75 s | 3 s |
| 100 | 0.6 s | 2.4 s |
| 120 | 0.5 s | 2 s |
| 160 | 0.375 s | 1.5 s |
| 200 | 0.3 s | 1.2 s |
| 240 | 0.25 s | 1 s |
Time signatures
| Time signature | Accents | Common in |
|---|---|---|
| 2/4 | Strong–weak | Marches, polkas |
| 3/4 | Strong–weak–weak | Waltzes |
| 4/4 | Strong–weak–weak–weak | Most pop and rock songs |
| 6/8 | Strong–weak–weak–medium–weak–weak | Two groups of three |
In 6/8 each dot is an eighth note, so the BPM counts eighth notes. For a dotted-quarter pulse of 60, set 180.
Practice tips
- Start at a tempo you can play without mistakes, then raise it a few BPM at a time once it feels steady.
- Loop the hard bar slowly on its own before playing it at full speed again.
- Keep the accent on to feel where each bar starts; switch it off later and count for yourself.
- Don’t know a song’s tempo? Tap along about six times. The metronome averages your last six taps and starts a fresh count after a 2-second pause.
- It also helps with dance rehearsals, conducting practice and keeping a steady rhythm in a workout class.
Why the click stays steady
Browser timers can fire tens of milliseconds late. Instead of playing a click whenever a timer fires, this metronome wakes every 25 ms and books the clicks for the next 0.1 seconds on the Web Audio clock, so they land on time even when the page is busy. Silent mode on a phone can mute the sound.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What does BPM mean?
Beats per minute. At 60 BPM you hear one click per second; at 120 BPM, two per second.
What BPM is Andante?
There's no fixed number. English Wikipedia gives roughly 56–108 BPM; this metronome labels 76–107 BPM as Andante.
What BPM is Allegro?
Roughly 120–156 BPM according to English Wikipedia, which stresses that tempo ranges vary widely between pieces. This metronome labels 120–155 BPM as Allegro.
How does tap tempo work?
Tap the button in time with the music a few times. The tempo is the average of your last six taps, and a pause of more than 2 seconds starts a new count.
Why is there no sound on my phone?
Sound only starts after you press Start, and silent mode or a muted volume can block it. The metronome also stops when you switch to another tab or app.