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Tap tempo (BPM counter)

Tap the button along with the beat and the tempo appears in beats per minute. Below, the length of each note value at that tempo, in milliseconds.

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Tap tempo (BPM counter)

Tap to the beat

Tap the button (or press any key while it has focus) along with the music. After 3 seconds without a tap, a new measurement starts.

Note valueStraight (ms)Dotted (ms)Triplet (ms)
Whole note2,000.003,000.001,333.33
Half note1,000.001,500.00666.67
Quarter note500.00750.00333.33
Eighth note250.00375.00166.67
Sixteenth note125.00187.5083.33
Thirty-second note62.5093.7541.67

At 120.0 BPM each beat (quarter note) lasts 0.500 s: 2.000 beats per second.

How the BPM is measured

Each tap records the exact moment; the tempo is 60,000 divided by the average time between taps, in milliseconds. The more taps, the steadier the result, because small timing errors average out. Taps that are clearly too close or too far apart (a double tap, a missed beat) are left out. If you stop for more than 3 seconds, the next tap starts a new measurement.

BPM to milliseconds

At a given tempo a quarter note lasts 60,000 ÷ BPM milliseconds: at 120 BPM, 500 ms. An eighth note is half of that, a half note twice as long; a dotted note lasts one and a half times its value and a triplet two thirds. These are the times to set on a delay to make the echoes fall on the beat.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find the BPM of a song?

Play the song and tap the button on each beat, the way you would tap your foot. After a few taps the number settles.

How many milliseconds is a beat at 120 BPM?

500 ms for a quarter note: 60,000 ÷ 120.

Can I use the keyboard?

Yes: with the button focused, any key counts as a tap (the space bar, for example).

Other tools you may need

Note frequency chartHz of every note, and the note of any frequencyPiano notesNames of the 88 piano keys, octave and frequencyMusic scalesNotes of any scale on the piano, staff and guitarCircle of fifthsEvery key with its signature, relative minor and chords