How to find the BPM by tapping
- Play the song and tap the big box in time with the beat. Space and T work too.
- Keep tapping for a few bars. The BPM is the average of all your taps, so it settles the longer you go.
- Copy the BPM or open it in the metronome. Stop for 3 seconds and your next tap starts a new count.
How tap tempo works
Each tap records the exact time of your click, touch or key press. Once you have two taps there’s a tempo; with every tap after that the average gets more reliable. Most songs settle to within a beat per minute after 8 to 16 taps.
The tempo is shown to one decimal place, or rounded to a whole number if you prefer. Open in metronome takes the rounded tempo to the metronome so you can practise along at that speed.
Tips for an accurate BPM
- Tap on the main beats. In most pop and rock music the kick drum and snare mark them.
- Keep going. Twenty taps beat five.
- Use a key or a finger rather than a trackpad click. They tend to give steadier timing.
- Watch the spread. If it’s large, start again and focus on a steady rhythm.