A free online metronome that keeps perfect time: set 20 to 300 BPM, tap in a tempo, pick any time signature, choose which beats are accented and let the tempo trainer speed you up bar by bar. It runs in your browser with no download and no microphone.
Online Metronome
Space start/stop · ↑↓ ±1 BPM (Shift ±5) · T tap
Allegro
- Meter4/4
- Bar0
- Beat–
- Time0:00
strongaccentnormalmute· tap a beat to change it
Press Start. The click is made in your browser: no microphone, nothing to install.
Timing runs on the audio clock of your device (sample-accurate, keeps going in a background tab). Settings are saved in this browser. Bluetooth speakers add a delay between the light and the sound: trust the sound.
Related Tools
- Tempo Tapper
Tap along with a song to find its BPM, then open it here.
- BPM Detector
Let the computer find the tempo of an audio file.
- Pitch Shifter
Slow a song down or change its key to practise along.
- Song Key Finder
Find the key of the song you are practising.
- Instrument Tuner
Tune your instrument before you start the click.
- Pitch Detector
See the live pitch of your voice or instrument.
How to Use the Online Metronome
- Set the tempo: drag the slider, press −5 −1 +1 +5, type a BPM (decimals such as 92.5 work), pick a tempo name, or press Tap tempo on the beat.
- Choose a time signature: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 2/2, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, 12/8 or Custom (1–16 beats over 2, 4, 8 or 16).
- Tap the round beat pads to set each beat to strong, accent, normal or mute.
- Add a subdivision (eighths, triplets, sixteenths or swing) and pick a sound: classic click, woodblock, beep, cowbell or drum kit.
- Press Start or the space bar. Arrow keys change the tempo by 1 BPM (Shift: 5), T taps the tempo.
- Watch the pendulum, the lit beat pad and the bar counter; the timer shows how long you have practised.
Tip: already know the tempo of a song? Tap it on the Tempo Tapper and press “Open in the metronome”: the metronome opens at exactly that BPM.
Tap Tempo: Set the Click From a Beat You Hear
Press Tap tempo (or the T key) four or more times along with the music or the beat in your head. The metronome takes the average of your recent taps, ignores a stray tap, and starts a new count after a two-second pause. For a more precise reading with a stability meter and half or double time, use the dedicated tap tempo tool listed above; to measure a recording automatically, use the BPM detector.
Time Signatures and Accents
The top number of a time signature is how many clicks you hear in a bar; the bottom number is the note that gets one click. The first beat is a strong accent by default, and compound meters are grouped the way musicians count them.
| Time signature | Clicks per bar | Default accents | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/4 | 2 quarter notes | 1 | Marches, polka |
| 3/4 | 3 quarter notes | 1 | Waltz, minuet |
| 4/4 | 4 quarter notes | 1 | Pop, rock, most exercises |
| 2/2 (cut time) | 2 half notes | 1 | Fast marches, musicals: a half-note metronome |
| 5/4 | 5 quarter notes | 1 | Jazz, film music |
| 6/8 | 6 eighth notes | 1 and 4 (3+3) | Ballads, jigs |
| 7/8 | 7 eighth notes | 1, 3, 5 (2+2+3) | Balkan and progressive music |
| 9/8 and 12/8 | 9 or 12 eighth notes | every 3rd click (3+3+3…) | Slip jigs, blues shuffle |
For any other meter choose Custom, for example 11/8 or 3/2, then set the accents yourself: a mute beat is a great way to practise a rest or hear the click only on beats 2 and 4, like a drummer’s backbeat.
Subdivisions and Swing
A subdivision adds quieter clicks between the beats: two for eighth notes, three for triplets, four for sixteenths. It helps when fast passages rush or when you need to place off-beats. Swing plays long-short eighths; choose the feel from light (58%) through triplet swing (67%) to a hard, dotted swing (75%).
Tempo Markings and BPM
| Marking | Meaning | BPM on this metronome |
|---|---|---|
| Grave | very slow, solemn | 25–39 |
| Largo | broad, slow | 40–59 |
| Larghetto | rather broad | 60–65 |
| Adagio | slow, at ease | 66–75 |
| Andante | walking pace | 76–107 |
| Moderato | moderate | 108–119 |
| Allegro | fast, bright | 120–155 |
| Vivace | lively | 156–175 |
| Presto | very fast | 176–199 |
| Prestissimo | as fast as possible | 200 and up |
BPM means beats per minute: 60 BPM is one click per second, 120 BPM two per second. BPM and time signature are separate settings, so a song can be 120 BPM in 4/4 or 120 BPM in 3/4.
Tempo Trainer: Speed Up Automatically
Turn on the tempo trainer and set three numbers: how many BPM to add, every how many bars, and the target. Example: start at 80 BPM, add 4 BPM every 4 bars up to 120 BPM. You get ten steps over 40 bars and never stop to reach for the slider. Set a target below the start tempo and the trainer slows down instead. When you stop, the metronome returns to your starting tempo for the next run.
This is the classic way to learn a hard passage: start where it is clean, let the tempo creep up, and drop back when it falls apart. Guitarists can build it into a beginner guitar practice routine, and it works just as well for piano scales and drum rudiments. Slow guitar warm-ups at 60–70 BPM are a good first run.
Metronome Counter, Practice Timer and Timing Test
- Bar and beat counter: the display counts bars and shows the beat (for example 3/4), so you always know where you are in a 16-bar phrase.
- Practice timer: elapsed time is shown while you play. Set Stop after to 8, 16, 32 or 64 bars or to 1–30 minutes, and the metronome stops cleanly at the end of a bar.
- Silent bars: play 3 bars, mute 1 (or any mix). The click drops out while the pads keep moving; if you land on beat 1 when the sound returns, your inner clock is solid. It is the simplest human metronome test there is.
Why This Metronome Keeps Perfect Time
Many web metronomes fire each click from a JavaScript timer, which drifts and stutters when the page is busy. This one schedules every click on your device’s audio clock a fraction of a second ahead, so each sound starts on an exact audio sample. In our tests every click landed within one audio sample (about 0.02 ms) of its exact time, far under the few milliseconds a trained ear can notice. It keeps playing if you switch tabs, and the pendulum follows the sound rather than the other way round.
If you use Bluetooth headphones the sound arrives later than the light; trust the click. Wired headphones or the device speaker have almost no delay.
Practice With Pitch Tools Too
Timing is half of playing in tune and in time. Before you start, check your strings with the guitar tuner. Singers can hold notes to the click and check them with the voice pitch analyzer, and the ear training guide shows how to add chord practice to your routine. Ten minutes of interval ear training after the click is a good way to end a session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this online metronome free?
Yes. It is free, has no ads inside the tool, needs no account and works in any modern browser on phone, tablet or computer.
How many BPM is 4/4?
4/4 is a time signature, not a speed: it means four quarter-note beats per bar. The tempo is set separately, so 4/4 can be 60, 120 or 180 BPM.
What BPM should a beginner practise at?
The fastest tempo at which you can play the passage cleanly and relaxed, often 60–80 BPM. Raise it by 2–5 BPM when it feels easy, or let the tempo trainer do it.
Can it go faster than 300 BPM?
The range is 20–300 BPM. For faster pulses, use a subdivision: 250 BPM with sixteenths gives 1,000 clicks per minute.
Does it work when my phone screen locks or I switch tabs?
It keeps playing in a background tab. Some phones pause web audio when the screen locks, so keep the screen on during practice.
How do I find the tempo of a song?
Tap along on the Tempo Tapper, or upload the file to the BPM detector. Then set that number here and slow it down with the tempo trainer if you need to.