Keep time with an online metronome
Set a BPM between 40 and 208, choose beats per bar, and press start — the metronome clicks with an accented first beat so you always know where the bar starts. Tap tempo finds the BPM from your own tapping, and everything is synthesized locally in your browser.
What each control does
BPM (40–208)
Beats per minute. Drag the slider for big changes or type an exact number.
Beats per bar
2, 3, 4, or 6. The first beat of each bar gets a higher-pitched accent click.
Tap tempo
Tap at least 3 times in rhythm to set the BPM from your own feel.
1. Set the tempo
Start with the BPM slider. If you are learning a piece, begin well below the target tempo — clean slow repetitions build faster than sloppy fast ones.
| Use case | Starting BPM |
|---|---|
| Learning a new passage | 50–60% of performance tempo |
| Technique drills | Comfortable speed, +2–4 BPM per day |
| Checking a song's tempo | Use tap tempo instead |
2. Choose beats per bar
Match the time signature of what you are playing: 4 for most pop and rock, 3 for waltzes, 2 or 6 for marches and compound feels. The accent click always marks beat 1.
3. Press start and watch the light
- Set BPM and beats per bar.
- Press Start — the beat light flashes on every beat, brighter on beat 1.
- Adjust volume so the click sits under your instrument, not over it.
- Press Stop when done; settings stay as you left them.
Practice method that works
- Find the fastest tempo where you can play the passage perfectly
- Raise the BPM by 2–4 and repeat until it breaks down
- Drop back 10% and lock it in before pushing again
- Short daily sessions beat one long weekly session
Limitations
- Background tabs get throttled by browsers — keep the tab visible
- Bluetooth audio adds latency; wired headphones are tighter
- A metronome keeps time, it does not teach feel — use both
Sources
FAQ
Will it stay accurate if I switch to another tab?
Not perfectly. Browsers throttle timers in background tabs, so keep the metronome tab visible while you practice for the steadiest timing.
Why does the first beat sound different?
That is the accent — a higher-pitched click marking beat 1 of each bar, so you can feel where each measure starts.
What BPM should I start with?
Start slow enough to play the passage cleanly, often 50–60% of the target tempo, then raise it a few BPM at a time.
How does tap tempo work?
Tap the button at least 3 times in rhythm and it computes the BPM from your taps — useful when you know how a song feels but not its number.
Does it need an internet connection?
Only to load the page. The clicks are synthesized in your browser with the Web Audio API, so it keeps working offline after that.