Online Metronome

Beats, BPM, and Bars

A beat is the regular pulse you tap your foot to. BPM (beats per minute) tells you how fast those pulses occur. At 120 BPM, each beat lasts 0.5 seconds; at 60 BPM, each beat lasts 1 second.

Bars (or measures) group beats together according to the time signature. For example, in 4/4 there are four beats in a bar; in 3/4 there are three. The bottom number (the beat unit) tells you which note value represents one beat: 4 means a quarter note, 8 means an eighth note, and so on.

• Duration of one beat: 60 / BPM × (4 ÷ beat unit)
• Common practice ranges: Ballad 60–80 BPM, Pop/Rock 90–130 BPM, House 120–128 BPM, DnB 160–175 BPM
• Counting: 4/4 → ‘1 2 3 4’, 3/4 → ‘1 2 3’, 6/8 → ‘1 2 3 4 5 6’ (often felt as two groups of 3)

Time Signatures and Feel

The time signature shapes where strong and weak beats fall. In 4/4, beat 1 is the downbeat (strong), beat 3 is secondary; beats 2 and 4 are commonly accented in pop and jazz (‘backbeat’). In 6/8 (a compound meter), three eighth notes form each beat; most players feel two big beats per bar: ‘1-&-a 2-&-a’.

• Simple meters: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 (beats divide into 2)
• Compound meters: 6/8, 9/8, 12/8 (beats divide into 3)
• Odd meters: 5/4, 7/8, 11/8 (grouped accents, e.g., 7/8 as 2+2+3)

Subdivisions: Eighths, Triplets, Sixteenths

Subdivisions split each beat into equal parts. Practicing with subdivisions trains internal precision and consistency.

• Eighths: 2 per beat → count ‘1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &’
• Triplets: 3 per beat → count ‘1‑trip‑let 2‑trip‑let …’
• Sixteenths: 4 per beat → count ‘1 e & a 2 e & a …’

Use the Subdivision control to hear smaller pulses between beats. Start with eighths, then try triplets and sixteenths. Aim to place your notes exactly on (or consistently around) these inner clicks.

Swing, Shuffle, and Human Feel

Swing delays the off‑beat eighth note so pairs of eighths feel like a long‑short pattern. A typical jazz swing ratio is around 60–65% (the second eighth is delayed). Shuffle is an even stronger swing—think triplet feel where the middle triplet is silent.

• Straight: off‑beat arrives halfway between beats (50%)
• Swing: off‑beat arrives later (e.g., 57–60%); adjustable via the Swing control
• Shuffle: off‑beat approximates the last triplet of a 3‑note group

Practice switching between straight and swung feels at the same BPM. It’s a powerful way to internalize groove without changing the tempo.

Accents and Patterns

Accents highlight important beats and shape phrasing. This metronome lets you accent the downbeat and set per‑beat patterns: Off, Normal, or Strong. Downbeats and strong accents use a distinct timbre so they stand out in a mix or noisy room.

• Downbeat accent: Emphasize beat 1 to lock your bar awareness
• Per‑beat pattern: Design custom grooves (e.g., 7/8 as 2+2+3)
• Subdivision volume: Subdiv clicks are automatically softer to reduce clutter

Trainer: Count‑in and Gap‑click

Use the Trainer to scaffold timing practice. Start with a count‑in, then challenge your time with silent bars.

• Count‑in: Choose 0–4 bars of clicks before normal playback (downbeats emphasized, no subdivisions).
• Gap‑click: Repeatable cycle of Play bars followed by Mute bars (e.g., 2 play, 2 mute) to test your internal pulse.

Tip: Begin with short mute windows at moderate tempos. As you improve, lengthen the mute phase or raise the BPM.

Presets and Sharing

Save your favorite setups and recall them instantly. Presets are stored locally in your browser (no account needed).

• Save preset: Stores the current configuration under a name.
• Update: Save again with the same name to overwrite.
• Delete: Remove a preset from your list.
• Share: Copies a URL with all settings encoded so anyone can open the same metronome.

Visuals and Interaction

The LED playhead and step grid mirror the timing engine. It’s great for silent practice and learning accents.

• LED row: Highlights the current subdivision with a green lamp.
• Step grid: Each beat column shows its accent strength; click a beat to cycle Off → Normal → Strong.
• Accessibility: Beat squares are keyboard‑focusable; use Space/Enter to toggle the accent level.

Sounds, Volume, Tap Tempo, and Haptics

• Sound: Choose click, woodblock, or noise/hat; downbeats/strong accents use a brighter variant
• Volume: Set overall level; subdivision ticks scale down automatically
• Tap Tempo: Tap several times to capture the song’s tempo
• Haptics: On supported devices, beats trigger a subtle vibration—great for quiet practice

Tip: Protect your hearing. Keep volume moderate when using headphones and consider haptics to reduce audio fatigue.

Latency, Accuracy, and Your Device

This metronome uses a precise Web Audio scheduler (look‑ahead + schedule‑ahead) for stable timing. Still, your device and output path matter.

• Bluetooth headphones: Expect extra delay; timing is stable but the click arrives later relative to your instrument
• Battery saver / low‑power mode: Can throttle timers; disable for best timing
• Many tabs: Close heavy pages; keep the metronome visible for consistent scheduling

Practice Routines That Work

1. Subdivision ladder: Start with eighths at a comfortable BPM, then triplets, then sixteenths
2. Tempo ladder: Play a pattern for 4 bars; bump BPM by 2–4; repeat for 10–15 minutes
3. Backbeat focus: In 4/4, clap or strum only on 2 and 4; keep the groove steady
4. Missing‑beat game: Mute one beat in the pattern and land it silently; unmute to check accuracy
5. Displacement: Shift your phrase one subdivision later every bar; return to the downbeat cleanly
6. Triplet control: Set Subdivision to triplets and practice straight vs swung phrases
7. Odd meters: Try 5/8 (2+3) or 7/8 (2+2+3); set matching accent patterns
8. Slow control: Practice difficult passages very slowly with sixteenths on; speed up gradually

FAQ

Why do I hear a delay on headphones?

Bluetooth adds latency; use wired headphones or device speakers for tightest feel. Timing remains internally stable.

Does Swing affect triplets?

Swing adjusts off‑beat eighths. Triplet subdivision already divides the beat into three equal parts.

Will changing settings mid‑playback throw off timing?

No. Changes to tempo, subdivision, and sound are applied on the fly. Upcoming ticks are rescheduled to match the new settings without stopping.

How are accents different?

Downbeats and strong accents are both louder and timbrally brighter so you can pick them out instantly.

Glossary

• Downbeat: The first beat in a bar
• Backbeat: Accents on beats 2 and 4 in 4/4
• Subdivision: Even division of the beat (e.g., eighths, triplets)
• Swing: Delaying the off‑beat to create a long‑short feel