free practice tool
The Musician’s Metronome
A free online metronome with the features working musicians actually use — subdivisions with real swing, per-beat accents, odd meters, a gap trainer, tempo ramps, and polyrhythms. No ads, no signup.
Space play/stop · T tap · ↑↓ tempo · drag the number to change tempo
what’s inside
Built for real practice
Subdivisions & swing
Quarters, 8ths, triplets, 16ths — plus true 2:1 swung 8ths, so your shuffle practice actually shuffles.
Accents & odd meters
Click any beat to cycle accent, normal, or mute. Meters from 2/4 to 12/8, including 5/4, 7/4, and 7/8.
Gap trainer
The click drops out for a bar or more, then comes back to tell you the truth. The fastest way to build inner time.
Tempo ramp
Climb a few BPM at a time toward a target tempo — the way you should be learning fast tunes.
Polyrhythms
Layer a second click — 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7 evenly spaced hits per bar — over the meter. Three over four, on demand.
Tap tempo
Tap the tempo you hear in your head (or press T). Your settings are saved for next time.
from the teaching studio
How to practice with a metronome
- Practice slower than you think you need to. If you can’t play it clean at 60, you can’t play it at 120 — the metronome just hides it less.
- Use the gap trainer once a piece feels comfortable. If you drift while the click is muted, your time is coming from the metronome, not from you.
- Put the click on beats 2 and 4 (mute 1 and 3 in 4/4) to practice like a jazz rhythm section thinks.
- Use the tempo ramp for technical passages: start clean, climb 2 BPM at a time, and set a target so you know when you’ve arrived.
questions
Metronome FAQ
Is this metronome really free?
Yes — free, no ads, no signup. It runs entirely in your browser and remembers your settings on your device.
What tempo should I practice at?
Start at the fastest tempo where you can play the passage perfectly relaxed — often 50 to 70 percent of the target. Then use the tempo ramp to climb a few BPM at a time.
What is a gap trainer?
The metronome plays for a set number of bars, then mutes for a set number of bars while you keep playing. When the click returns, you hear instantly whether you rushed or dragged. It is one of the best tools for developing internal time.
Why practice with subdivisions?
Hearing the 8ths, triplets, or 16ths inside each beat keeps your rhythmic placement honest between clicks. Swing subdivision does the same for shuffle and jazz feels, where straight 8ths would train the wrong thing.
Want your time feel to actually improve?
A metronome tells you when you’re off. A teacher shows you why. Jordan teaches jazz & funk guitar and bass in Denver and online.