How to use this metronome
Set the tempo with the slider, the − and + buttons, or the arrow keys. Not sure of the tempo? Tap the Tap button (or press T) in time with the music and the metronome follows you. Need the tempo of a recording? Try the tap tempo BPM finder.
The first beat of each bar is accented so you always know where "one" is. In 5/4, 7/8 and the compound meters (6/8, 9/8, 12/8) the start of each group gets a lighter accent, so 7/8 counts as 2 + 2 + 3. In eighth-note meters each click is an eighth note.
Subdivisions add quieter clicks between the beats: 8ths (two per beat), triplets (three) or 16ths (four). They help you lock in the space between beats, which is where most timing slips.
Common tempo markings
| Marking | Meaning | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Largo | Broadly, very slow | 40–60 BPM |
| Adagio | Slow | 66–76 BPM |
| Andante | At a walking pace | 76–108 BPM |
| Moderato | Moderately | 108–120 BPM |
| Allegro | Fast, bright | 120–156 BPM |
| Presto | Very fast | 168–200 BPM |
Practising with a metronome
- Start slower than you think. Find the tempo where you play a passage cleanly every time, then go up 4–5 BPM at a time.
- Put the click on 2 and 4. For swing, funk and pop, halve the tempo and hear the clicks as the backbeat. It builds a much stronger groove.
- Subdivide when it feels rushed. Turning on 8ths or 16ths shows you exactly where you speed up.
- Practise with real music, too. A click is a reference, a band is the goal. Downbeat Studio's Songs and Jam modes let you play along with real tracks at any speed.