Free, no account needed

Free online metronome

A precise metronome that runs in your browser, from 30 to 300 BPM, with tap tempo, six time signatures and four subdivisions. Open the page, press the space bar and practise in time. No account, no app, nothing to install.

What this online metronome does

The click is scheduled with the Web Audio clock, so it stays steady even when your browser is busy. Everything you need for daily practice is on one screen:

Tempo from 30 to 300 BPM: a slider for big moves, +1 and +5 buttons for fine steps.
Tap tempo: tap along with a recording and the metronome finds its tempo.
Six time signatures: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/8 and 7/8, with the first beat of every bar accented.
Subdivisions: quarter notes, eighth notes, triplets or sixteenth notes.
A visual beat display, handy when you play loud or practise with headphones off.
The Italian tempo name (Largo, Andante, Allegro...) shown next to the number.
Space bar to start and stop, so your hands barely leave the instrument.

Tempo markings and BPM by style

Classical scores give the tempo as an Italian word rather than a number. These ranges are the usual conventions; sources draw the boundaries slightly differently, so treat them as a guide.

Marking	Approx. BPM	Character
Largo	40 to 60	very slow, broad
Larghetto	60 to 66	slow
Adagio	66 to 76	slow, at ease
Andante	76 to 108	walking pace
Moderato	108 to 120	moderate
Allegro	120 to 168	fast, lively
Presto	168 to 200	very fast
Prestissimo	above 200	as fast as possible

In popular music, the style gives you a first estimate: ballads often sit between 60 and 80 BPM, reggae and hip-hop between 70 and 100, funk around 90 to 115, pop and rock mostly between 100 and 140, and punk easily above 160. When in doubt, use tap tempo on the recording and read the number.

How to practise with a metronome

A metronome does not make you fast; it makes you even, and speed follows. Four routines that work for guitar, piano or any instrument:

The clean-run ladder. Find the tempo where a passage is clean three times in a row. Add 5 BPM with the +5 button. At the first mistake, go back 10 BPM and finish there. Note the tempo and start 10 BPM below it tomorrow.
Subdivide before you speed up. At 60 BPM, switch from eighth notes to sixteenth notes: you now play four notes per click, which is the same note speed as eighth notes at 120 BPM, but with twice as many reference points.
Land chord changes on the accent. Strum one chord per bar in 4/4 and make sure the new chord sounds exactly on the accented click. G to C to D at 70 BPM is a good start, and the open chords to learn first are perfect material.
Hear the clicks as 2 and 4. Set half your target tempo (60 BPM for a 120 BPM groove) and treat each click as the backbeat. This is how jazz players practise swing and how rhythm guitarists build a relaxed feel.

For odd meters, start with 5/4 heard as 3 + 2 and 7/8 heard as 2 + 2 + 3: count aloud, then play.

Beyond the click

A plain click is the most honest teacher, but sometimes a groove is more inspiring. The free online drum machine plays real patterns (rock, funk, bossa nova, shuffle and more) at the tempo you choose, so you can practise a strumming pattern against a beat. All the free music tools work the same way: in the browser, no sign-up.

With a free GuitarHarmony account, the workshop goes further: the guitar toolbox puts a metronome next to a capo transposer, reference tones and printable practice sheets, and other tools show scales and chord progressions on the whole neck.

How to use it

Set the tempo. Drag the slider or use the +1 and +5 buttons. If you are learning a song, tap tempo along with the recording instead.
Choose the time signature. Pick 4/4 for most pop and rock, 3/4 for waltzes, 6/8 for ballads with a rolling feel, or 5/4 and 7/8 for odd meters. The first beat of each bar is accented.
Add a subdivision if you need it. Eighth notes, triplets or sixteenth notes fill the space between beats and make it easier to keep fast or slow passages even.
Start and play. Press the space bar or the start button. Watch the beat display if the click gets lost in your sound, and press the space bar again to stop.

What you can do with it

Bringing a solo up to speed

The recording is at 132 BPM and you can only manage 100. Work at 100 in sixteenth notes, add 5 BPM after three clean runs, and back off at the first slip. Most players gain 15 to 25 BPM over a couple of weeks this way.

Rehearsing a song with a band

Tap tempo on the original recording, write the BPM on the set list and start each song from the click. Count-ins stop drifting, and the band agrees on the feel before the first chord.

Reading a classical piece

The score says Andante. Start around 80 BPM, check the tempo name displayed next to the number, and adjust to the character of the piece rather than chasing a single exact value.

Frequently asked questions

Is this online metronome free?

Yes, completely. It runs in your browser on computer, tablet or phone, with no sign-up and nothing to install.

What BPM range does it cover?

From 30 to 300 BPM. Use the slider for large changes and the +1 or +5 buttons for precise ones, or tap the tempo of a recording.

Which time signatures and subdivisions are available?

2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/8 and 7/8, with an accented first beat. Each beat can be subdivided into eighth notes, triplets or sixteenth notes, or left as plain quarter notes.

What is a good metronome tempo for beginners?

Start where you can play without a single mistake, often 60 to 70 BPM for chord changes. Speed up in small steps only after three clean runs in a row; slow and even beats fast and messy.

How do I use the 6/8 setting?

6/8 has six eighth notes per bar grouped in two groups of three, so it is felt in two. Count 1-2-3-4-5-6 with the accent on 1, and lean slightly on 4 to feel the second pulse.

More free tools

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