Online metronome

How to use the metronome

1. Set the tempo with the knob, by typing a value in the field, or with the arrow keys. The range runs from 30 to 300 BPM and the Italian marking (Andante, Allegro and so on) updates accordingly.
2. Choose the time signature: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/8, 7/8 or 12/8. The first beat of each bar is accented, which you can switch off if you prefer a uniform click.
3. Add a subdivision if needed: crotchets only, quavers, triplets, semiquavers or swing. Subdivisions sound quieter than the main beats.
4. Start with the space bar or the button. The dots light up on each beat, so you can follow the metronome with the volume at zero, for instance when playing through a loud amp.
5. Find a tempo with tap tempo: press T in time, at least four times, and the tool calculates the average.

The volume is set independently of the guitar, and every setting is stored in the browser: you will find your last configuration on your next visit.

Guitarist’s tips

• Practise slowly, genuinely slowly. A tempo at which you make no mistakes is the only useful starting point. Then climb in steps of 4 or 5 BPM and note the tempo reached at each session: progress shows over the week, not over the minute.
• Put the click on beats 2 and 4. Halve the tempo and treat each click as a backbeat. It is the classic jazz and pop exercise: the click no longer carries you, you have to carry it. 4/4 in quavers with the accent off is good training ground.
• Subdivide before you speed up. A semiquaver passage at 100 BPM is easier to steady with the subdivision on, then without it once the pulse is internalised.
• Remove every other click. Once comfortable, set the metronome to half the tempo so you hear one click every two beats, then one per bar. If you land back on the click, your internal clock holds.
• Record yourself. Playing to a metronome and listening back exposes the rushing on easy passages and the dragging on hard ones. A looper such as the Boss RC-10R or the Sheeran Looper+ makes the exercise almost fun.

Limits and transparency

This metronome runs in the browser and relies on the device’s audio clock. Its timing is very good in an active tab, but a background tab or a locked phone may cut or slow the sound depending on the browser: keep the page visible while practising.

The sound is a synthetic click, with no choice of timbre or spoken count. There is no song programming (tempo or time-signature changes on the fly), no automatic tempo ramp, and no output to a sequencer or a pedal. For those uses, a dedicated app or the metronome built into a looper or an amp such as the Boss Katana 50 MkII remains better suited.

Finally, playing to a metronome builds consistency, not groove: playing ahead of or behind the beat is learnt by playing with other musicians and with records.

Going further

• The tempo-to-milliseconds calculator to set a delay or a tremolo to the tempo of the song.
• The chord progressions, which loop at the tempo of your choice.
• The beginner accessories guide, where the metronome features prominently.