Free online metronome

What is a metronome?

A metronome is a device that plays a steady click at a chosen tempo, measured in beats per minute (BPM). Musicians practise with it to keep an even pulse, to learn difficult passages slowly and speed them up step by step, and to play in time with other musicians and recordings. At 60 BPM the metronome clicks once per second; at 120 BPM, twice per second.

BPMClick schedules every click on the Web Audio clock a fraction of a second in advance — the technique used by recording software — so the beat stays rock-steady even when your computer or phone is busy. Everything runs in your browser; there is nothing to install and no account to create.

How to use the online metronome

1. Set the tempo. Type a BPM, drag the slider, use the + and − buttons or the arrow keys, or tap the Tap button in time with a song.
2. Choose the time signature. Pick beats per bar and the note value. For odd meters choose an accent grouping such as 2+2+3, and click any beat to make it strong, accented, normal or silent.
3. Add subdivisions or swing. Add eighths, triplets or sixteenths to hear the space between beats, and swing eighths or sixteenths from straight (50%) to a hard shuffle (75%).
4. Start and practise. Press Start or the space bar. Use the speed trainer to raise the tempo gradually, silent bars to test your inner clock and the practice timer to stop after a set time.

Features for serious practice

• Any time signature from 1 to 16 beats, in halves, quarters, eighths or sixteenths, with accent groupings for 5/4, 7/8, 9/8 and other odd meters.
• Accents you control: click a beat to cycle it between strong, accent, normal and silent — for example to put the click on 2 and 4 only.
• Subdivisions and swing: eighths, triplets, sixteenths, quintuplets and sextuplets, with adjustable swing from straight to a hard shuffle.
• Tap tempo to find the BPM of any song, and a speed trainer that raises the tempo automatically.
• Silent bars (gap click) to test whether you can keep time without the click, plus a practice timer.
• Four click sounds, volume control, dark mode, keyboard shortcuts and a screen that stays awake while the metronome runs.

Tempo markings and BPM

Classical scores describe tempo with Italian words rather than numbers. The ranges below are typical modern metronome readings — composers and editions differ, so treat them as a starting point.

Marking	Meaning	Approx. BPM
Larghissimo	as broadly as possible	20–24
Grave	grave, solemn, heavy	25–45
Largo	broad, wide	40–60
Lento	slow	45–60
Larghetto	rather broadly	60–66
Adagio	at ease, slowly	66–76
Andante	walking pace	76–108
Moderato	moderately	108–120
Allegretto	moderately fast, a little lively	112–120
Allegro	fast, lively, cheerful	120–156
Vivace	lively, vivacious	156–176
Presto	very fast, quickly	168–200
Prestissimo	as fast as possible	200+

Metronome by instrument

Presets with practice plans, typical tempos and subdivision advice for your instrument, plus a cadence metronome for runners.

• Guitar metronomeMetronome preset to 80 BPM in eighth notes for alternate picking
• Piano metronomeMetronome preset to 60 BPM in sixteenth notes, the starting mark for Hanon
• Drum metronomeMetronome preset to 80 BPM in sixteenths for rudiments
• Violin metronomeMetronome preset to 60 BPM for long bows and scales
• Running cadence metronome150–190 steps per minute, cadence and pace tables

Metronome by BPM

Open the metronome at a common tempo, with beat lengths, delay times and practice tips for each.

• 40BPM
• 50BPM
• 60BPM
• 65BPM
• 70BPM
• 75BPM
• 80BPM
• 85BPM
• 90BPM
• 95BPM
• 100BPM
• 105BPM
• 110BPM
• 115BPM
• 120BPM
• 125BPM
• 128BPM
• 130BPM
• 135BPM
• 140BPM
• 150BPM
• 160BPM
• 170BPM
• 174BPM
• 180BPM
• 200BPM
• 220BPM
• 240BPM

Time signatures

• 2/4simple duple
• 3/4simple triple
• 4/4simple quadruple
• 5/4irregular (odd)
• 6/8compound duple
• 7/8irregular (odd)
• 9/8compound triple
• 12/8compound quadruple

Practice guides

• How to Use a MetronomeNew to the click? This beginner's guide explains what every setting does and walks through worked examples, from your first 60 BPM click to a week-long tempo plan.
• How to Practice With a MetronomeA metronome only helps if you know what to listen for. This guide walks through a step-by-step method, from your first slow click to playing with a single click per bar.
• Tempo Markings and BPM: The Complete ChartWhat do Adagio, Andante and Allegro actually mean in beats per minute? Here is a practical chart with translations, modifiers, and the tempo-change terms you will meet in sheet music.
• Time Signatures ExplainedA time signature tells you how to count, but not always how to feel the beat. This guide covers simple, compound and odd meters, with counting patterns and metronome settings for each.
• Subdivisions and Swing ExplainedSteady time lives between the clicks. Learn how beats divide into smaller notes, how to count each subdivision, and how swing reshapes even eighth notes into a groove.
• How to Build Speed With a MetronomeSpeed is a by-product of accuracy and relaxation. Here is a structured method, with concrete tempo steps, for taking a passage from slow and clean to fast and clean.
• How to Find the BPM of a SongWhether you are learning a cover, timing a delay or planning a DJ set, you need to know the tempo. Here are three reliable methods and how to avoid the classic half-time trap.

Frequently asked questions