Free Online Metronome & Beats

A good place to start.

1. Start with a comfortable tempo

   Try 60 beats per minute. Clap or tap once with each beat before adding notes.

2. Work on one small phrase

   Choose two measures that need attention. Play slowly enough that your hands can stay relaxed.

3. Change one thing at a time

   When the phrase feels steady, raise the tempo a little. If it falls apart, return to a speed where you can hear and control every note.

What does BPM mean?

BPM means beats per minute. At 60 BPM, a quarter-note pulse clicks once each second. At 120 BPM, that same pulse clicks twice each second. Tempo tells you how quickly the beat moves; the time signature tells you how beats are grouped.

A two-minute rhythm exercise

Set 60 BPM. Clap one sound per beat for four beats. Next, clap two evenly spaced sounds per beat for four beats. Alternate between those patterns without changing the underlying pulse. On piano, try the same exercise on one note before using a whole song.

How fast should I practice?

There is no useful universal starting speed. Choose a tempo that lets you play the passage accurately and comfortably. A slower tempo is a way to hear and solve a specific problem, not a score of how good a musician you are.