Tap Tempo

Play a song or count along to a rhythm. Tap the button on each beat — on a computer you can also tap the spacebar. The tool averages your taps and shows the tempo in BPM. After a few taps, the reading stabilizes. You can then use the "Use in Metronome" button to jump straight to the metronome with that BPM pre-loaded.

The tool measures the time between your taps and averages the most recent eight intervals, so the reading steadies as you keep tapping and gently follows along if the song's tempo drifts. Taps register the instant you press down, not when you release, which keeps the timing honest. If you stop for a few seconds, the session goes stale and your next tap starts a fresh measurement.

Use it whenever you need a number for a tempo you can feel: finding the BPM of a song you're learning so you can practice it slower, checking how fast you actually play a riff versus how fast you think you do, matching a drum machine or looper to a recording, or settling what tempo a band should count off. It's the quickest bridge between "this feel" and a metronome setting.

Tap on the main beat — the pulse you'd nod your head to — not on every drum hit. Eight to twelve taps give a solid reading; keep tapping through at least two full measures. If you lose the beat mid-song, pause for a few seconds and start fresh rather than tapping through the confusion. For songs with a strong backbeat, tapping along with the snare (beats 2 and 4) and doubling your count afterward can be easier to feel.