A free online metronome for New Zealand musicians, music students, and teachers. Set any tempo from 20 to 300 BPM, tap to find your tempo, choose your time signature, and adjust the volume. The metronome uses your browser's Web Audio system for precise, low-latency timing. No download, no sign-up, no cost. Replaces a physical metronome costing $15-50.
Press Start to begin. The pendulum swings left and right with each beat, the beat number is shown in the circle, and the dots along the bottom light up to show your position in the bar. Beat 1 is highlighted in red (the accent beat) and the remaining beats are blue.
To adjust tempo, drag the slider, click the + and - buttons to nudge by 1 BPM, or click the double arrows (« ») to jump by 5 BPM. The tempo name at the top updates automatically to show you the Italian tempo marking for your current speed.
To set a subdivision, use the dropdown: eighth notes adds a quieter click between each main beat, which helps with syncopation and rhythm exercises. Triplets divides each beat into three equal parts.
Tap the Tap Tempo button in time with the music you want to match, or with a rhythm in your head. After three or more taps the metronome calculates the average interval between your taps and converts it to BPM. The more taps you give it, the more accurate the result. Taps more than two seconds apart reset the sequence, so you can start again at any time.
This is useful when you want to match the tempo of a recorded song, practice along with another musician, or find out the BPM of a piece you have been rehearsing by feel.
BPM stands for beats per minute. It measures how fast or slow a piece of music is. A tempo of 120 BPM means there are 120 beats every minute, or two beats every second. This is a comfortable jogging pace and a common tempo for pop music. A tempo of 60 BPM is exactly one beat per second, the pace of a slow heartbeat. A tempo of 200 BPM is extremely fast, roughly the speed of a fast drum solo or a high-energy dance track.
Classical music uses Italian terms to describe tempo rather than exact BPM numbers. Here are the main ones you will encounter in NCEA Music and most music education:
Largo (40-60 BPM): Very slow and broad. The Italian word means "wide". Used for solemn, majestic, or deeply expressive passages.
Adagio (66-76 BPM): Slow and stately. One of the most common slow tempo markings. Adagio movements in classical concertos and symphonies are often the emotional heart of the piece.
Andante (76-108 BPM): A walking pace. The Italian word literally means "going" or "walking". Andante is a comfortable, relaxed tempo.
Moderato (108-120 BPM): Moderate speed. Not slow, not fast. Much popular and rock music sits in this range.
Allegro (120-168 BPM): Fast and lively. The most commonly used fast tempo marking in classical music. Think of the first movement of most Mozart or Beethoven sonatas.
Vivace (168-176 BPM): Very fast and lively. Vivace passages feel energetic and spirited.
Presto (168-200 BPM): Very fast. Often used for technically demanding fast passages.
Prestissimo (200+ BPM): As fast as possible. Used sparingly for the most extreme fast passages.
The time signature tells you how many beats are in each bar and what type of note gets one beat. The most common time signatures are:
4/4 (Common time): Four beats per bar, the quarter note gets one beat. The vast majority of pop, rock, jazz, and most classical music uses 4/4. Beat 1 is accented (stronger).
3/4 (Waltz time): Three beats per bar. Waltzes, minuets, and many folk dances use 3/4. The characteristic "ONE two three, ONE two three" feel comes from the accent on beat 1.
2/4 (March time): Two beats per bar. Marches and polkas use 2/4. It has a strong ONE-two, ONE-two pulse.
6/8: Six eighth-note beats per bar, typically felt in two groups of three. Commonly used in compound time pieces, jigs, and many folk songs. It has a lilting, rocking quality.
5/4: Five beats per bar. Less common but important in jazz (Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" is the classic example) and some contemporary music.
Start slow. Whatever piece or exercise you are working on, set the metronome significantly slower than your target tempo, perhaps half speed. Only increase the BPM when you can play the passage cleanly at the current speed without mistakes. Rushing to a fast tempo before the notes are secure leads to ingraining errors.
Use subdivisions. If you are struggling to stay in time, switch to eighth notes or sixteenth notes in the subdivision setting. Having more click points per beat makes it easier to feel where you are in the pulse and correct any drift.
Record yourself. Play along with the metronome and record a short passage on your phone. Listening back often reveals rhythmic problems that you cannot feel while playing because you are focused on pitch and technique.
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