Is this online metronome accurate?

Yes. Clicks are written to the Web Audio hardware clock up to 120 ms ahead of time, which gives sample-accurate placement — in practice a few microseconds of error. A metronome built on setInterval alone drifts by tens of milliseconds because the browser throttles timers under load, and that drift accumulates over a long practice session. The clock keeps running correctly if the tab loses focus, though some browsers pause audio in a fully backgrounded tab.

What does the time signature denominator change?

The number of beats in the bar, and nothing else about the speed. BPM here means clicks per minute, so 6/8 at 120 clicks 120 times a minute in groups of six, with a medium accent starting each group of three. That is the convention every online metronome uses. If your sheet music says dotted quarter = 60 for 6/8, set the metronome to 180 and listen to the group accents.

How do I use tap tempo?

Click Tap tempo (or press T) along with the beat. The reading averages the gaps between your last few taps, so speeding up or slowing down mid-tap pulls the number with you rather than fighting it. Stop for more than two and a half seconds and the next tap starts a fresh measurement.

Can I mute some beats?

Click a beat circle until it reads silent. The beat still exists — the bar counter and the visual indicator keep going — but nothing sounds. This is how drummers practise time feel: mute beats 2, 3 and 4 and you only get the downbeat, so you have to carry the rest yourself. A gap of one bar every four is the usual next step up.

What are the three click sounds?

Click is a filtered noise burst, the sharp tick most digital metronomes make, and it cuts through a loud instrument best. Beep is a clean sine tone, easiest on the ears over long sessions. Wood drops its pitch over 40 ms the way a woodblock does and sits well under acoustic instruments. All three are synthesised on the spot, so there is no sample to download and the first click is never late.

What tempo should I practise at?

Slower than feels comfortable. The usual rule is to find the fastest tempo at which you can play a passage cleanly five times in a row, drop 10–15 BPM below it, and work up in steps of 4 or 5. If you are hitting a wall at one speed, going 20 BPM slower for a few days almost always beats grinding at the wall.

Why is the first click late or missing?

Browsers only allow audio after a user gesture, so the AudioContext starts suspended and wakes up when you press Start. The metronome allows 80 ms for that, which is enough everywhere except a cold Safari tab on iOS, where the first click can be clipped. Stop and start again and it will be clean.

What is the millisecond table for?

Delay and modulation times. A quarter-note delay at 120 BPM is 500 ms, an eighth is 250 ms, and the dotted eighth — 375 ms at 120 — is the one that gives The Edge's guitar sound. Those numbers change with every tempo, and the table recalculates as you move the slider, so you can read them straight into a plugin instead of doing 60000 divided by BPM in your head.

Do I need to install or sign up for anything?

No. The page is static, the sound is generated by your browser, and nothing about your session is sent anywhere. It works offline once loaded.

Online Metronome — Free BPM Click with Tap Tempo

120 BPM

Moderato ·bar —

Press Start, or hit the space bar.

Tap at least twice in time

Time signature Subdivision Click sound Volume

Space starts and stops · arrow keys ±1 BPM (hold Shift for ±5) · T taps the tempo

Note lengths and delay times at this tempo

Milliseconds per note value, recalculated as you change the tempo. Quarter note = one beat. Type the eighth or dotted-eighth figure into a delay plugin to lock it to the track.

Note value	Division	Milliseconds
Whole note	1/1	0 ms
Dotted half	1/2.	0 ms
Half note	1/2	0 ms
Dotted quarter	1/4.	0 ms
Quarter note	1/4	0 ms
Quarter triplet	1/4T	0 ms
Dotted eighth	1/8.	0 ms
Eighth note	1/8	0 ms
Eighth triplet	1/8T	0 ms
Sixteenth note	1/16	0 ms
Thirty-second note	1/32	0 ms

Italian tempo markings and their BPM ranges

Boundaries vary by a few BPM between editions — these follow the ranges printed on Wittner and Seiko mechanical metronomes.

Marking	BPM	What sits there
Grave	30–45	Funeral marches, the slowest Beethoven adagios
Largo	46–60	Dvořák's New World second movement sits here
Larghetto	61–66	Broad ballads, Chopin nocturnes
Adagio	67–76	Albinoni's Adagio, slow blues
Andante	77–108	Walking pace — most hymns and folk songs
Moderato	109–120	Default practice tempo, classic rock
Allegro	121–156	House and disco live at 120–128; punk starts near 160
Vivace	157–176	Fast swing, bluegrass
Presto	177–200	Drum and bass counted in halves, tarantellas
Prestissimo	201–250	Showpiece finales and speed-metal downpicking

A metronome that keeps time in the browser using the Web Audio clock, so the click stays steady instead of drifting the way a JavaScript timer does. Set the tempo with the slider, the number field or by tapping along, pick a time signature from 2/4 to 12/8, and switch any beat between accented, half-accented, plain and silent by clicking it. The space bar starts and stops; the arrow keys move the tempo one BPM at a time.

How it works

1
Set the tempo Drag the slider, type a number between 30 and 250, use the −5/−1/+1/+5 buttons, or tap the Tap tempo button in time with the music you are matching. Two taps are enough for a reading, four or five make it accurate.
2
Choose the meter and subdivision Pick a time signature — 4/4 for most music, 3/4 for waltzes, 6/8 and 12/8 for compound time, 5/8 and 7/8 for odd meters. Set the subdivision to eighths, triplets or sixteenths when you want quieter clicks between the beats.
3
Shape the accents Click any numbered beat to cycle it through accented, half accent, normal and silent. Muting beats 2 and 4 of a bar is the standard way to practise feeling the backbeat without being told where it is.
4
Start the click Press Start or hit the space bar. The lit circle follows the beat and the bar counter above it tells you where you are in the phrase.

Your data stays private

All processing happens entirely in your browser. No files, text, or data are ever sent to our servers. You can disconnect from the internet and this tool will still work.

Frequently asked questions

Is this online metronome accurate?: Yes. Clicks are written to the Web Audio hardware clock up to 120 ms ahead of time, which gives sample-accurate placement — in practice a few microseconds of error. A metronome built on setInterval alone drifts by tens of milliseconds because the browser throttles timers under load, and that drift accumulates over a long practice session. The clock keeps running correctly if the tab loses focus, though some browsers pause audio in a fully backgrounded tab.
What does the time signature denominator change?: The number of beats in the bar, and nothing else about the speed. BPM here means clicks per minute, so 6/8 at 120 clicks 120 times a minute in groups of six, with a medium accent starting each group of three. That is the convention every online metronome uses. If your sheet music says dotted quarter = 60 for 6/8, set the metronome to 180 and listen to the group accents.
How do I use tap tempo?: Click Tap tempo (or press T) along with the beat. The reading averages the gaps between your last few taps, so speeding up or slowing down mid-tap pulls the number with you rather than fighting it. Stop for more than two and a half seconds and the next tap starts a fresh measurement.
Can I mute some beats?: Click a beat circle until it reads silent. The beat still exists — the bar counter and the visual indicator keep going — but nothing sounds. This is how drummers practise time feel: mute beats 2, 3 and 4 and you only get the downbeat, so you have to carry the rest yourself. A gap of one bar every four is the usual next step up.
What are the three click sounds?: Click is a filtered noise burst, the sharp tick most digital metronomes make, and it cuts through a loud instrument best. Beep is a clean sine tone, easiest on the ears over long sessions. Wood drops its pitch over 40 ms the way a woodblock does and sits well under acoustic instruments. All three are synthesised on the spot, so there is no sample to download and the first click is never late.
What tempo should I practise at?: Slower than feels comfortable. The usual rule is to find the fastest tempo at which you can play a passage cleanly five times in a row, drop 10–15 BPM below it, and work up in steps of 4 or 5. If you are hitting a wall at one speed, going 20 BPM slower for a few days almost always beats grinding at the wall.
Why is the first click late or missing?: Browsers only allow audio after a user gesture, so the AudioContext starts suspended and wakes up when you press Start. The metronome allows 80 ms for that, which is enough everywhere except a cold Safari tab on iOS, where the first click can be clipped. Stop and start again and it will be clean.
What is the millisecond table for?: Delay and modulation times. A quarter-note delay at 120 BPM is 500 ms, an eighth is 250 ms, and the dotted eighth — 375 ms at 120 — is the one that gives The Edge's guitar sound. Those numbers change with every tempo, and the table recalculates as you move the slider, so you can read them straight into a plugin instead of doing 60000 divided by BPM in your head.
Do I need to install or sign up for anything?: No. The page is static, the sound is generated by your browser, and nothing about your session is sent anywhere. It works offline once loaded.

From the blog

How to Practise With a Metronome (and Why Most People Do It Wrong) Tempo ranges, subdivisions, muted beats and the slow-practice method that actually moves a passage forward. Read the post →