Online Metronome

How to use the online metronome

1. Set the tempo: type a number from 20 to 300 BPM, drag the slider, use the -10/-1/+1/+10 buttons, or click a preset. The Italian marking (Andante, Allegro...) updates as you go.
2. Pick the time signature. The first beat of each bar is accented and shown in orange; untick "Accent the first beat" for an even click.
3. Add a subdivision if you want eighth notes, triplets or sixteenths between the beats. They play quieter than the beats.
4. Press Start (or Space with the metronome focused). The dots show the current beat and the frame pulses on every click.
5. Do not know the tempo? Press Tap tempo (or T) four or more times in time with the music and the BPM is set from your taps.

What the results mean

BPM means beats per minute: 60 BPM is one beat per second, 120 BPM is two. The metronome shows the length of one beat in milliseconds and the traditional Italian tempo marking for the range you are in.

In 6/8 and 7/8 the click counts eighth notes, so set the BPM for the eighth note (a 6/8 piece felt in two at 60 BPM is 180 BPM here). Most pop and rock sits between 100 and 130 BPM, hip hop around 85-100, house 120-128, drum and bass 170-175. If you have a song and want its tempo, use the tap BPM counter.

How to practice with a metronome

Start slower than you think you need: pick a tempo at which you can play the passage perfectly, then raise it by 3-5 BPM each time you get three clean repetitions. Use subdivisions to lock in fast passages, and switch them off once the pulse is internal. For rhythm training, set the accent off and try to feel the click on beats 2 and 4, or halve the tempo so the click lands only on beat 1 and you fill the rest yourself. Drummers often practice with the click on the off-beat; set 2/4 at half tempo and count the click as the "and".

A metronome is a reference, not a cage: once a piece is steady, play it without the click and record yourself to check that the tempo holds. Short daily sessions with the metronome beat long occasional ones.

Why this metronome stays in time

A naive browser metronome uses a JavaScript timer, which can drift by tens of milliseconds whenever the page is busy, the tab is scrolled or the device saves power. This metronome instead schedules every click a fraction of a second ahead on the Web Audio clock, which runs on the audio hardware and is accurate to a sample. The JavaScript timer only tops up the schedule, so a hiccup in the page never moves a click. The visual beat dots are driven by the same schedule, and Bluetooth headphones add their own fixed delay of 100-200 ms to both sound and screen, so for serious practice use wired headphones or speakers. If you need a tone rather than a click, the tone generator plays a continuous pitch.

Common problems and fixes

No sound

Press Start once more, because browsers only allow sound after a click on the page. Check the volume slider on the page and the system volume, and that the browser is sending audio to the device you expect. On iPhone, turn off the silent switch on the side.

The click is late or uneven with Bluetooth headphones

Bluetooth adds 100-200 ms of delay, which is constant but makes the click arrive after the visual pulse. Use wired headphones or the built-in speaker for practice, or play along by ear and ignore the dots.

The metronome stops when I switch tabs

It stops when the page is hidden, so it does not keep clicking in the background by mistake. Keep the tab open in front, or in a separate window beside your sheet music.

The tempo from tap tempo is wrong

Tap at least four times at a steady pace and let the counter settle. Taps more than 2.5 seconds apart start a new measurement. Tap the beat, not the subdivision, or halve or double the result.