Metronome
A steady click on the audio clock, so it does not drift. Space starts and stops it.
BPM · Allegro
Quieter clicks between the beats.
Select a beat to cycle accent, normal and mute. The tempo counts beats per minute.
Metronome stopped
How it works
- Set the tempo with the slider, the arrows or the tap button.
- Choose the time signature, accents and subdivisions.
- Press Space or Start to begin.
How the click stays on time
Browser timers drift by tens of milliseconds, which is audible as an uneven pulse. This metronome only uses a timer to look ahead: every 25 milliseconds it schedules the clicks due in the next 100 milliseconds on the audio clock, which runs on the sound hardware. The clicks themselves are placed to the sample, so the tempo does not wobble when the page is busy.
The timer runs in a background worker, so the metronome keeps time when you switch tabs or work in another window. Some phones stop all audio when the screen locks; that is a system rule the page cannot override.
Time signatures, accents and subdivisions
Pick a time signature or a custom number of beats from 1 to 16. In signatures over eight notes (6/8, 7/8, 9/8, 12/8) one beat is an eighth note, so the BPM counts eighths; in the others it counts the beat shown, usually a quarter note.
Select any beat in the row to cycle accent, normal and mute, for example to leave out beat 1 or to stress beats 2 and 4. Subdivisions add quieter clicks between beats: eighths, triplets or sixteenths.
Tempo range and markings
The range is 20 to 300 BPM, with one decimal when you type a value or tap it in. The Italian tempo marking beside the number (Largo, Andante, Allegro and so on) is only a rough guide to the feel.
Questions
Why does my metronome sound different from a hardware one?
The click, wood and beep sounds are simple synthesized tones. The timing is what matters for practice; pick the sound that cuts through your instrument best.
Does it work offline and in the background?
Once the page has loaded it needs no connection. The timing runs in a worker, so it continues in a background tab, but a locked phone screen may mute browser audio.
Can I link to a tempo?
Yes. Add #bpm=96 to the address, for example /metronome/#bpm=96. The tap tempo tool uses this to open the metronome at the tempo you tapped.
What are the keyboard shortcuts?
While focus is inside the tool: Space starts and stops, the up and down arrows change the tempo by 1 (5 with Shift), and T taps the tempo. They are off while you type in a field.
Is there a flashing beat indicator?
The beat row highlights the beat being played. If your system asks for reduced motion, the highlight is replaced by a plain "Beat 2 of 4" readout.