Metronome in 4/4 time
Free online metronome, preset to 100 BPM — press Start
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4.7 · 16 ratingsHow 4/4 time counts
4/4 has four quarter-note beats in a bar — ONE two three four — and is so common it is also called common time, written as a C on the staff. The metronome above accents beat 1 so you always know where the bar starts.
Most pop, rock and jazz is in 4/4, and many metronomes start in it. The first beat is the strongest; in a lot of popular music the drums put the backbeat on 2 and 4.
The preset is 100 BPM, four beats a bar. To practice with a backbeat, open the Pro tab and tap the dots for beats 1 and 3 until they are muted: the click then falls on 2 and 4 only. Subdivisions add eighths or sixteenths under each beat.
4/4 in numbers
| Beats per bar | 4 (quarter notes) |
|---|---|
| Accented beat | 1 |
| Also written | C (common time) |
| At 100 BPM | 600 ms per beat, one bar every 2.4 seconds |
Lessons on 4/4 time
What musicians say
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sencilla y efectiva
A memtrone that is sooo customixable
Easy to use
Frequently asked questions
- How do I set a metronome for 4/4?
- Set four beats a bar with the accent on beat 1 — this page opens that way, at 100 BPM. Change the tempo with − and +, or tap it in with Tap tempo.
- How do I make the metronome click on 2 and 4?
- Open the Pro tab and tap the beat dots for 1 and 3 until they show as muted. The click then sounds only on 2 and 4, the backbeat, which trains you to feel beat 1 yourself.
- Why is 4/4 called common time?
- Because it is the most common meter in Western music. It can be written as 4/4 or as a C on the staff, and both mean four quarter-note beats per bar.
- What BPM is good for practicing in 4/4?
- Start where you can play every note cleanly — often 60 to 80 BPM for new material — then raise it a few BPM at a time. The Pro tab’s speed trainer can do the raising every few bars.