Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the first beat sound different?
That's the accented downbeat — the first beat of each measure, played at a higher pitch so you can hear where each measure starts, which matters for staying oriented in time signatures like 3/4 or 6/8.
Is the timing actually accurate, or does it drift like a simple timer?
It uses the Web Audio API's own clock to schedule each click precisely in advance, rather than a basic JavaScript timer, which is prone to drifting out of time over a long session. This is the same scheduling approach professional web-based metronomes use.
What BPM should I practice at?
Start slower than the target tempo of whatever you're learning, and increase gradually once you can play it cleanly — a common practice technique regardless of instrument. If you know a song's tempo already, the Tap Tempo tool can find it for you and hand it straight to this metronome.
What do the different time signatures change?
The time signature sets how many beats make up one measure — 4/4 (four beats), 3/4 (three, a waltz feel), 6/8 (six, often felt as two groups of three), and 2/4 (two). The accented first beat and the beat-count on screen change to match.