Keep time with an adjustable metronome — 40 to 240 BPM, multiple time signatures, accent on beat one.
A metronome is a steady audible pulse that helps musicians practise at a consistent tempo. This one runs in the Web Audio API, generating short clicks from oscillator nodes — a higher-pitched click on the first beat of each bar and a softer one on the others. The slider covers 40 to 240 BPM, which is everything from a slow adagio to a fast presto, and you can change the tempo while the metronome is running without stopping it.
Time signatures set how many beats make up a bar. Four beats per bar (4/4) is the most common in popular music; three gives you waltz time (3/4); six is compound time (6/8), used in jigs and many ballads. The dot display follows the beat visually, highlighting the current beat and accenting the first one in a different colour. This visual feedback is useful when the metronome is too quiet to hear over your instrument.
The audio is generated by short bursts from an OscillatorNode — 1000 Hz for the accent, 800 Hz for the other beats — with an exponential gain ramp that cuts the sound off cleanly after about 50 milliseconds. The result is a crisp click that cuts through instrument noise without being intrusive. Everything runs in your browser, nothing is streamed or stored, and the metronome stops the moment you press Stop or leave the page.
Interval between beats = 60000 / BPM milliseconds. At 120 BPM: 500 ms between beats. The accent falls on beat (count mod beatsPerBar) === 0.
Yes — drag the BPM slider and the metronome adjusts immediately without stopping.
That depends on the piece. Common reference points: 60 (Adagio), 76 (Andante), 120 (Allegro), 140 (Vivace), 180 (Presto). If you are practising something for the first time, start slower than the target and increase gradually.
JavaScript timers (setInterval) are not sample-accurate. For studio use, a dedicated metronome app or a DAW click track is more precise. For practice, the browser metronome is accurate enough.
Yes, as long as the browser supports Web Audio API, which all modern mobile browsers do. Tap Start to begin — mobile browsers require a user gesture to activate audio.
Yes — the dots below the BPM display highlight in sequence, with the first beat in a distinct colour.
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