Online Metronome

Set a tempo, choose a meter and start a steady pulse for your next practice session.

How to start practicing

Set the BPM to a pace at which you can play a phrase cleanly, select the time signature and click Start. Count along with the highlighted beats. Choose subdivisions if you need smaller rhythmic landmarks, or switch from the simple click to a drum style for accompaniment. Stop and adjust the tempo whenever the timing starts to drift; a slower accurate repetition is more useful than a fast uneven one.

A practical guide to tempo and rhythm

What BPM actually measures

BPM means beats per minute. At 60 BPM one beat lasts one second; at 120 BPM a beat lasts half a second. Increasing BPM from 60 to 120 doubles the rate of the beat, not the number of notes you must play. What counts as a beat depends on the piece's notation and musical context. A song at 120 BPM in 4/4 usually groups four quarter-note beats per bar, but that number alone tells you nothing about the intended strumming pattern. First find the pulse in the music, then fit your notes around it.

Choose a starting tempo you can control

For an unfamiliar chord change, begin at a speed that lets both hands arrive together. Try four accurate bars at 60 or 70 BPM instead of one rushed bar at the recording's full speed. Count aloud, tap your foot gently and place each chord on an intended beat. If the sound is consistently clean, increase by about 5 BPM and try again. If two repetitions fall apart, step back. The goal is not to reach an arbitrary impressive number; it is to build a reliable motion that survives playing with other people.

Read the time signature

In 4/4, count one two three four and return to one. In 3/4, count one two three; the first beat can anchor a waltz-like feel. In 2/4, groups of two are common in march-like rhythms. In 6/8, there are six eighth-note slots in a measure, often felt as two larger groups of three. A displayed six-click pattern does not automatically tell you whether the musical pulse should be counted in dotted quarter notes. Listen to where the music groups accents and pick the setting that helps you practice the actual phrase.

Subdivisions help with the spaces between beats

A steady quarter-note click is useful for strumming on the beats. Eighth-note subdivisions divide each beat into two equal parts, often counted one-and-two-and. Sixteenth notes divide it into four, while triplets divide a beat into three equal parts. Start by clapping the subdivision while the main beat remains clear. Then place a pick stroke on the smaller slot you want. Do not let a dense subdivision mask weak timing: once the passage is comfortable, return to a simpler click and check that your internal pulse stays steady.

Use click and drum patterns deliberately

The plain click is a neutral reference for scale runs, chord changes and counting rests. A rock, pop, jazz, Latin or electronic drum pattern can give you a more musical context. These preset patterns are practice grooves, not a transcription of any particular recording. Listen for kick and snare placement, but keep counting the meter yourself. Lower the volume if the pattern covers your instrument. When working on an especially hard transition, return to the click so that beat placement is unmistakable.

Practice starts, stops and silence

Begin playing after a count-in that you count yourself: one full measure is usually enough. Work on entering precisely on beat one instead of hitting Play and immediately chasing the sound. Include rests in the exercise; the pulse continues when your instrument is silent. Try a measure of strumming followed by a measure of muted strings while maintaining the count. Practice a difficult two-chord transition in isolation, then put it back into a complete phrase. A correct transition matters more than continuous motion.

Put the rhythm into a real song

Open a beginner song or choose a familiar track from the library, identify where the chord changes fall, and practice that pattern first without the recording. Tune the instrument before starting, especially after changing a capo position. If the song's key is uncomfortable for your voice, use the chord transposer to find a playable arrangement before increasing speed. This metronome runs in the browser with no account or song-play charge. Browser audio can be interrupted by background tabs or device sleep, so keep the page active when timing matters.

Metronome questions

What does 120 BPM mean?

It means 120 beats per minute, or two beats every second. Your note rhythm may contain several notes or rests per beat.

What tempo should a beginner choose?

Start slowly enough to make each change clean. Raise the BPM in small steps only after several consistent repetitions.

Is 6/8 the same as 3/4?

No. Both have six eighth-note durations per bar, but 6/8 commonly groups them as two sets of three, whereas 3/4 is normally three quarter-note beats.

Does the metronome use my microphone?

No. The metronome generates audio in your browser; it does not request microphone access.