Tap Tempo
Tap a rhythm, read the tempo — averaged over your last taps.
0 taps
Or press the space bar in time.
What is tap tempo and when do you use it?
Tap tempo turns a rhythm you can feel into a number you can use. Tap along with a recording, a drummer or a line you are humming, and the tool converts the average gap between taps into beats per minute with BPM = 60 000 ÷ average interval in milliseconds.
It is the quickest way to set a delay pedal to the tempo of a song, to find out how fast you are actually playing a passage, or to get a starting tempo before switching to the online metronome. If you have the audio file itself, the BPM finder will measure it without any tapping.
Getting a steadier reading
- Tap quarter notes, not the fastest thing you can hear. Subdividing doubles or quadruples the result.
- Use the space bar rather than the mouse.
- Keep going for a full phrase; the average over eight intervals is far steadier than over two.
- If the number jumps between roughly half and double a value, you changed which note you were tapping.
Frequently asked questions
How many taps do I need for an accurate BPM?
Four gives a usable figure and eight is noticeably steadier, because the tool averages the intervals between taps rather than the last one. Tapping through a whole phrase rather than four isolated beats removes most of the error.
Why does the reading reset on its own?
If more than two and a half seconds pass between taps the tool assumes you have started a new measurement and clears the history, so an old tempo cannot contaminate a new one.
Can I tap with the keyboard?
Yes. Press the space bar instead of clicking. That is usually steadier than a mouse because there is no hand movement between taps.