Metronome at 120 BPM
Free online metronome, preset to 120 BPM — press Start
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4.7 · 16 ratingsHow fast 120 BPM is
At 120 BPM the metronome clicks 120 times a minute: 2 beats a second, one every 500 ms. Ableton Live, Logic Pro and GarageBand all open a new project at 120 BPM, so it is the tempo a lot of music starts from. On the usual scale of Italian tempo markings, 120 BPM falls in Moderato, Allegretto and Allegro.
Press Start and the click begins at 120 BPM; nudge it with − and + or the slider. To learn a passage for 120 BPM, start at about 80% (around 96 BPM) and raise the tempo a few BPM at a time — the Pro tab's speed trainer does the raising for you, and its subdivisions add eighths (240 clicks a minute) or sixteenths (480).
120 BPM in numbers
| Beats per second | 2 |
|---|---|
| One beat (quarter note) | 500 ms |
| Eighth notes | 240 per minute, 250 ms each |
| Triplet eighths | 360 per minute, ≈ 167 ms each |
| Sixteenth notes | 480 per minute, 125 ms each |
| One bar of 4/4 | 2 seconds |
| One bar of 3/4 | 1.5 seconds |
| Bars of 4/4 per minute | 30 |
Tempo markings at 120 BPM
- Moderato — 108–120 BPM, at a moderate speed
- Allegretto — 112–120 BPM, moderately fast
- Allegro — 120–156 BPM, fast and bright
Ranges from Wikipedia’s “Tempo” article. They are rough, overlap, and vary between composers and pieces.
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A memtrone that is sooo customixable
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Frequently asked questions
- How fast is 120 BPM?
- 120 beats per minute is 2 beats a second — one beat every 500 ms. A bar of 4/4 lasts 2 seconds, and eighth notes come 240 times a minute.
- What tempo marking is 120 BPM?
- 120 BPM falls in Moderato (108–120 BPM, at a moderate speed), Allegretto (112–120 BPM, moderately fast) and Allegro (120–156 BPM, fast and bright). The ranges come from Wikipedia’s “Tempo” article; they are rough, overlap, and vary between composers and pieces.
- How do I practice at 120 BPM?
- Set the metronome to about 80% of the target (around 96 BPM), play the passage cleanly, then raise it a few BPM at a time until you reach 120. The Pro tab's speed trainer raises the tempo automatically every few bars, and eighth-note subdivisions (240 clicks a minute) help keep fast notes even.
- What is half time and double time of 120 BPM?
- Half time is 60 BPM (one click every 1000 ms) and double time is 240 BPM (one click every 250 ms). A song at 120 BPM can feel like either, depending on where the drums put the backbeat.