4/4 metronome
4/4 — also called common time and written as "C" — has four quarter-note beats per bar. It is by far the most common meter in pop, rock, hip-hop, jazz, gospel and dance music.
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How to count 4/4
Count "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and". Beat 1 is strongest, beat 3 is a secondary accent, and in most popular music the snare "backbeat" falls on 2 and 4.
Metronome settings for 4/4
- To practise the backbeat, mute beats 1 and 3 so the click sounds only on 2 and 4.
- Use sixteenth-note subdivisions for funk and fast rock patterns.
- Swing the eighths (60–67%) for blues, shuffles and jazz.
Accent groupings for 4/4
The metronome offers these groupings for 4 beats; the first beat of each group is accented: 2+2.
Other time signatures
- 2/4simple duple
- 3/4simple triple
- 5/4irregular (odd)
- 6/8compound duple
- 7/8irregular (odd)
- 9/8compound triple
- 12/8compound quadruple
New to meters? Read time signatures explained.
FAQ
How do you count 4/4 time?
Count "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and". Beat 1 is strongest, beat 3 is a secondary accent, and in most popular music the snare "backbeat" falls on 2 and 4.
How do I set a metronome for 4/4?
Set 4 beats per bar with a quarter-note beat. This page is already set up that way at 100 BPM; the BPM counts quarter notes.
What kind of meter is 4/4?
4/4 is a simple quadruple meter: 4 quarter notes per bar.