tap or click any key to get bpm
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BPM
tap or click any key to get bpm
Use this page to tap out tempo and find out any song’s beats per minute (bpm) in seconds. This tool is useful for songwriters, DJs, people who want to check on their heart beat, and just about anyone else who wants to put a number to a tempo.
So what is tap tempo?
Tap tempo is a tool for finding out the beats per minute of a song. Tap spacebar (or any key) for a few seconds to find out the true bpm. The tempo recorded will match the speed of your tap input.
Whether you’re working on a set, playing live with a drummer, trying to learn how to play a song, or looking to sync your playing to a beat, knowing the bpm is key. Intelligent tap tempo, like the one on this page, takes the time difference between your taps and calculates an average differential. In other words, the bpm counter (or beat counter) calculates the tempo range and finds out the average bpm. This gives you a very accurate, correct tempo.
Just in case you were wondering, the term ‘tap tempo’ can also refer to a function on guitar pedals. Tap tempo on a guitar pedal allows you to tap beats out with your foot. So that a tremolo effect pedal, a reverb or a flashback delay pedal, or a modulation footswitch is in sync with song bpm. That’s the key to good rhythm. And it’s the exact same principle as the finger tap-based tool on this page.
When it comes to tap tempo for guitar pedals, however, the application is generally for live, on-the-fly applications. For instance, live drummers can fluctuate their playing speed. So it’s super helpful to be able to tap, tap, tap your way back into perfect timing. And it’s sometimes necessary to adapt to tempo changes within a more complex composition.
What exactly does ‘beats per minute’ (bpm) mean?
Simply put, it’s how many beats there are in a song in a sixty-second time interval. The term ‘bpm’ is used extensively in electronic music. And in particular dance music, where a song’s tempo is crucial for determining genre, vibe, beat matching, and so on.
Of course, beats per minute is important for any music. It would be pretty bizarre to encounter waltz at 200+ bpm, for example. Meanwhile a gabber hardcore record under 150 bpm would probably cease to be categorized as gabber altogether.
The number of beats reflects the tempo or pace of a song. More beats per minute means a faster, more upbeat song. Less beats per minute means a slower song. That said, it’s pretty clear that happy songs can be slow, and sad songs can be fast. Tempo is just a starting point in the journey towards establishing a song’s overall mood.
In classical music, the following bpm corresponds to these musical terms:
While these classical music terms may not be necessary to know, depending on what kind of music you’re making, it’s worth thinking about the types of moods that different bpm can generate.
Also worth noting: while bpm/tempo gives exact information on the frequency of the beat (i.e. the song tempo), it does not provide information on time signatures.
For example, a song in 4/4 at 120 bpm would count the same number of beats as a song in 6/8 at 120 bpm. It takes deeper listening to melodic phrasing, rhythm, etc. to detect when each measure starts and ends.
BPM can be used to measure heartbeats per minute too. You can count the number out by tapping along with your pulse for a few seconds. Or if you really want to get accurate, try counting out for 15 seconds or even a full minute. For the record, a resting heart rate between 60 and 100 bpm is considered normal. Although there are people who fall outside this range who are also totally fine. Of course, when in doubt, the doctor knows best.
If you want to get really creative, you can also use this tool to match your workout playlist’s bpm with your heartbeat.
This tool can help you set your metronome to an accurate tempo for a song you’re trying to learn, play along or riff with. Or maybe even just emulate or take apart for creative purposes.
A metronome, or click track, counts beats per measure at a regulated pulse. In other words, it gives you notational information on where music notes go, according to beats per minute (tempo) and time signature. Any digital audio workstation (or DAW) will come with this tool.
If a song is in the 4/4 time signature, there will be 4 quarter notes per measure. If a song is in the 6/8 time signature, there are six eighth notes per measure. There are also odd time signatures like 5/4, which has five quarters per measure, and 7/8, which has seven eighths per measure.
4/4, 3/4, and 2/4 are probably the most common time signatures out there.
Finding out the time signature of your favorite songs can shed insight into the types of rhythms you like. If you’re a songwriter, introducing new time signatures into your work is a way to break out of old habits and find new ideas and ways of structuring melody and rhythms