Online metronome
Set the tempo with the slider, the plus and minus buttons or by tapping along to a song. Choose how many beats make a bar and the first one gets a higher click. Add subdivisions for eighths, triplets or sixteenths. Clicks are timed on the audio clock, so they stay steady while you play.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Set the tempo with the slider, type a number, use the − and + buttons, or press Tap tempo in rhythm.
- Choose Beats per bar. Dots show the bar, and the highlighted dot is the current beat.
- Optionally pick a Subdivision: quieter extra clicks between the beats.
- Press Start. Changes to tempo, volume and subdivision apply while it runs.
How it works
Every 25 milliseconds a timer checks the audio clock and schedules every click due in the next 100 milliseconds, so small delays in the timer never change the spacing. The time between clicks is 60 ÷ BPM ÷ subdivision seconds. Accent clicks are 1500 Hz, regular beats 1000 Hz and subdivisions 700 Hz and quieter. The animation loop that lights the dots runs only while the metronome is running.
Worked example
At 120 BPM with triplets the gap between clicks is 60 ÷ 120 ÷ 3 ≈ 0.167 seconds. Taps at 0, 500 and 1000 ms are 500 ms apart, which is 60000 ÷ 500 = 120 BPM.
Tips
- Start slower than you think you need and raise the tempo in small steps.
- Use subdivisions to check that your notes land evenly between beats.
- Wired headphones or a speaker avoid the delay that Bluetooth adds to audio.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the clicks so steady?
A browser timer can fire late whenever the page is busy. This metronome uses a timer only to book clicks a fraction of a second ahead on the audio clock, which keeps its own time, so a late timer does not move a click.
How does tap tempo work?
Each tap is timed, and the tempo comes from the average gap between the last eight taps. If you stop for more than two seconds, the next tap starts a new measurement. Four or five taps give a good estimate.
What does the accent do?
The first beat of every bar plays a higher, louder click, so you can hear where the bar starts. Set beats per bar to 4 for 4/4, 3 for waltz time, or 1 to make every beat accented.
Does it work in a background tab?
Browsers slow down timers in hidden tabs, and some phones suspend audio when the screen locks. The metronome is built to keep time on the audio clock, but for a long practice session keep the page open and the screen on.