Online metronome

Set the tempo, press Start, and play. This metronome schedules every click on your browser's audio clock — not on a page timer — so the beat stays exactly where you set it, at 40 BPM or at 240.

Why this metronome doesn't drift

Most web metronomes fire each click from a JavaScript timer, and browser timers can run tens of milliseconds late whenever the tab gets busy — which is exactly when a click should land. MetronomeHQ works the way audio software does: a lookahead scheduler wakes up every 25 milliseconds and places clicks on the Web Audio timeline up to 0.1 seconds ahead. The interval between click n and click n+1 is computed by adding one beat length to the previous click's scheduled time, so there is nothing to accumulate error. At 120 BPM the clicks land at 0, 500, 1000, 1500 ms… for as long as you leave it running.

What everything does

Tempo, 30–300 BPM

Drag the slider, type a number, or step with − and +. The Italian tempo marking for the current speed (Allegro, Andante…) is shown under the number, along with the beat length in milliseconds — handy when you are setting a delay pedal or matching a recording. See the full tempo markings table or the genre BPM guide.

Time signatures, including odd meters

2/4, 3/4, 4/4 and 5/4 for simple meters; 6/8, 7/8, 9/8 and 12/8 for compound and odd meters; or choose "Custom beats per bar" and set anything from 1 to 16 beats. Each beat gets a flashing dot, and beat 1 is accented with a higher click (you can turn the accent off). How the counting works is explained in time signatures, explained.

Subdivisions

Split every beat into eighth notes, triplets or sixteenth notes with a quieter in-between click. Subdividing is the fastest way to tighten a fast passage: at 160 BPM the sixteenths do the counting your inner ear cannot. More in how to practise with a metronome.

Tap tempo

Heard a song and want its tempo? Tap the Tap tempo button (or press T) along with the beat — after a few taps the metronome sets itself to the measured BPM. Pause for more than two seconds and the measurement starts fresh. There is also a dedicated tap tempo tool with a full-screen tap pad.

Practice trainer

When you are ready to speed a passage up on purpose, the practice trainer raises the tempo automatically — a few BPM every few bars, up to your target.

Good to know

Does it work on my phone?

Yes. The first tap on Start unlocks audio on mobile browsers; after that the click plays through the speaker or your headphones. The page also keeps working if the tab goes to the background on desktop.

Is anything uploaded or stored?

No. The sound is synthesised in your tab and nothing is recorded. Your settings (tempo, time signature, subdivision) are kept in this browser's local storage only, so the metronome comes back the way you left it.

What is a good starting tempo for practice?

The one where you can play the passage with no mistakes at all — often slower than feels necessary, somewhere around 60–80 BPM. Earn each step up. See the practice guide.