Online Metronome
The Online Metronome Description
Welcome to StudyBass.com's free online metronome! This simple tool generates a steady click track for you to practice your rhythmic skills.
A metronome provides a consistent beat measured in beats per minute (BPM). 60 beats per minute is just one beat per second. The metronome is adjustable from 40 to 208 bpm in even-numbers.
Using the Online Metronome
The click of the metronome can be counted in any way. You can count in 4/4 time, 7/8 time, or any other meter. If you're uncomfortable with the concept of time signatures, check out the time signature lesson.
You can also interpret the metronome's click as notes other than the basic beat. For example, if your 8th note pulse is weak, practice with the metronome clicking on 8th notes - each click would fall on the beat and the 'and' of the beat.
You can practice anything to the click of the metronome — rhythms, songs, clapping exercises, etc. If you want some advice on rhythm and practice suggestions, check out the rhythm lessons. I'll be adding more lessons soon.
When you practice with the online metronome, start slowly around 60 BPM. Gradually work your tempo up. I recommend getting complex lines and parts comfortable at tempos at least a little beyond the tempo of where you'll be playing it. It's much like swinging with two bats to warm up. It'll seem a lot easier to play something when you go back and play it more slowly.
An excellent way to see where things are falling apart for you in a musical passage is to try it briefly at a really fast tempo. Then you'll see exactly what is causing you difficulties. Don't practice something for too long if it is sloppy or inaccurate.
Tempo Markings
When you read music, you will often encounter tempo markings. These are Italian musical terms that indicate the basic tempo range for the piece of music.
| Tempo Marking | From: | To: |
|---|---|---|
| Largo | 40 | 60 |
| Larghetto | 60 | 66 |
| Adagio | 66 | 76 |
| Andante | 76 | 108 |
| Moderato | 108 | 120 |
| Allegro | 120 | 168 |
| Presto | 168 | 200 |
| Prestissimo | 200 | 208 |
Using the Online Metronome Tool
Note: you must have cookies enabled and Flash 7 or higher installed and working in your browser to use the StudyBass.com online metronome tool!
The online metronome tool is pretty simple to use. You can click on the screen or use your keyboard to control the metronome. Be sure you have clicked on the metronome with your mouse to activate the keyboard functions.
There are three ways to adjust the tempo:
- Select the tempo from around the circle. Hovering over the tempo markers you can see the beats per minute.
- Use the up and down arrow buttons on the interface or [up] [down] on your keyboard to incrementally increase or decrease the tempo.
- You can type directly into the BPM screen any even numeric value between 40 and 208 beats per minute.
You can adjust the volume of the metronome's click with the volume slider.
To start and stop the metronome, click the "RUN" button in the center of the metronome, or use the [spacebar] to start and stop the metronome.
Your last tempo and volume setting is saved for when you come back.
Good luck with improving your rhythmic skills!
Online Metronome FAQ
Is there a way to download the metronome?
No. This tool was developed for online use at studybass.com only. It is not an offline metronome.
How do I practice tempos higher than 208 bpm?
Just cut the tempo in half and interpret the metronome click as every other beat. For instance, to play at 300 let the metronome click at 150. At these higher tempos it's a good idea to interpret the click as being beats 2 & 4 rather than 1 & 3. Your sense of groove will be better with the accent on 2 & 4.
Bookmark page:
