Why the Tool Includes a Metronome
Measuring a BPM is only half the job once you know the tempo, you often want to practice or play along with it. That's exactly what the metronome built into the Tap Tempo tool is for. It takes whatever BPM you've measured (see our guide to measuring BPM if you haven't already) or set manually, and produces a steady, clickable pulse you can play or sing along to.
Starting the Metronome
Underneath the tap pad, you'll find a button labeled Start metronome. Press it, and the tool immediately begins clicking at the current BPM shown on screen. If you haven't tapped anything yet, it defaults to 120 BPM, which is a common, comfortable starting tempo for testing things out.
Stopping and Restarting
The same button toggles the metronome on and off once it's running, its label changes to Stop metronome. You can also use the keyboard shortcut M to start or stop it without taking your hands off the keyboard, which is handy if you're practicing an instrument at the same time.
Setting a Specific Tempo
There are two ways to set the exact tempo you want the metronome to click at. First, you can tap the rhythm using the tap pad until the BPM reading stabilizes, then start the metronome it will pick up that exact number. Second, if you already know the BPM you want, use the plus and minus buttons to nudge the number up or down by one until it matches your target, then hit start.
Understanding Beats Per Bar
In the options section below the tap pad, you'll find a dropdown labeled Beats per bar. This controls how the metronome groups its clicks. Setting it to 4, for example, gives every fourth click a slightly higher, accented tone useful for feeling where the "one" of each bar lands, especially in 4/4 time. Setting it to 1 turns off the accent entirely, giving you a flat, even click on every beat. For a full breakdown of this and the other options in the panel, see our settings guide.
Adjusting the Click Volume
If the metronome's click is too loud or too soft for your setup, the Click volume slider in the options panel lets you adjust it instantly. This is especially useful if you're practicing an instrument and need the click to sit quietly in the background rather than drown out what you're playing.
Practicing With Gradual Tempo Increases
A common practice technique is to start slow and gradually speed up as a passage becomes comfortable. With this tool, that's as simple as tapping the metronome's plus button every few minutes to nudge the tempo up by a BPM or two. Because the change happens instantly, there's no need to stop and restart the metronome each time it keeps clicking through the adjustment.
Using the Metronome Alongside Tap Tempo
One useful workflow is to tap along with a recording to find its tempo, then immediately switch to the metronome to lock that tempo in place. This is especially helpful when you want to practice a section of a song at its original speed without needing the actual recording playing in the background.
Auto-Reset and the Metronome
Note that the auto-reset setting (which clears your tap history after a pause) only affects tap tempo measurement — it does not stop the metronome once it's running. You can let the metronome click continuously for as long as you need, even if you haven't tapped anything in a while.
Conclusion
The built-in metronome turns the Tap Tempo tool from a simple measuring device into a practice companion. Whether you're locking in a tempo you just measured or building speed gradually on a tricky passage, the controls are designed to stay out of your way and let you focus on the music.
Combining the Metronome With Beats Per Bar
The accent pattern created by the beats-per-bar setting becomes especially useful once the metronome is running continuously for practice. Instead of counting bars in your head, the accented click marks the start of that's a scale, a chord progression, or a piece of choreography.
When to Turn the Accent Off
Not every practice session benefits from an accented beat. If you're working on something that doesn't have a clear bar structure, or if the accent is actually distracting you from focusing on your own timing, switching beats-per-bar to 1 removes the accent and gives you a completely flat, even click. Some musicians prefer this simpler click specifically because it forces them to internally track bar position themselves, rather than relying on the metronome to do it for them.