Metronome Q&A
Learn how to choose a practice BPM, hear the difference between common time signatures, and use accents to follow grouped beats.
How should I choose a practice BPM?
Choose a speed at which you can play the whole passage accurately and without tightening up. A slow click gives you time to notice uneven notes and rushed transitions.
After several clean repetitions, raise the tempo a little and test the same passage again. If it falls apart, return to the last comfortable BPM before moving on.
Try a slow 60 BPM pulseWhy do 3/4 and 6/8 feel different?
3/4 has three quarter-note beats in a bar. A typical 6/8 bar contains six eighth notes felt as two groups of three, so its larger pulse falls in a different place.
On this tool, 6/8 plays six clicks per bar. Choose 3 + 3 and turn on the accent to hear the two groups while all six clicks continue.
Hear the 6/8 groupingWhat does Accent First Beat change?
In Simple mode it makes the first click of each bar stronger. In Professional mode it also gives a softer accent to the first click of each later group.
Try an uneven grouping such as 2 + 2 + 3, then switch the accent off. The click spacing stays the same; only the cues for the groups disappear.
Try 7/8 with grouped accents