Speed Trainer Metronome
A free speed trainer metronome that runs in your browser: set the start BPM, the target BPM, the step (1 to 20 BPM) and every how many bars it climbs. Press Play and the metronome speeds up by itself, so you never take your hands off the instrument. The current BPM shows up as a big number, with a progress bar from start to target, a count of bars until the next increase and the estimated total time of the workout.
How to use it
- In Start BPM and Target BPM, type where you start and where you want to end up (60 and 120, for example). Not sure about the starting tempo? Hit Tap at the speed where the passage comes out clean.
- Pick the step (how many BPM it climbs each time) and every how many bars. For a short lick, +5 every 4 bars is a good start; for a long scale, +2 every 2.
- Choose the time signature (2/4, 3/4, 4/4 or 6/8), the sound and the volume. Below the display you see the total number of bars and the estimated length of the workout.
- Press Play or the space bar. The big number shows the current BPM, the bar fills from start to target and the line under it tells you which bar you are in and what the next BPM will be. The screen stays on while it plays.
- When it reaches the target BPM, the metronome keeps going at that tempo until you press Stop. Want the same workout tomorrow? Give it a name and press Save, or copy the workout link.
Help and explanations
It is the progressive metronome for anyone practicing scales, alternate picking, chord changes, drum rudiments or a tricky passage: start slow and raise the tempo a little at a time. It has 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 and 6/8, an accent on beat one, three sounds, tap tempo, a ladder mode (up to the target and back down), a random gap bar, saved workouts and a workout link. The click is scheduled on the browser's audio clock, so the tempo never drifts. No app, no account.
How to build a speed workout
The rule is simple: the start BPM is the tempo at which the passage comes out whole and clean, even if it feels too slow. The target BPM is the tempo of the song (or a bit above it, so you have some headroom). Between the two, small steps work better than jumps: climbing 3 or 4 BPM every 4 bars lets your hands follow along without noticing the change. If the passage starts to fall apart at some point, stop, note the BPM on the screen and restart the workout a little below it.
For a 2-bar lick, use every 2 or 4 bars, so each tempo is played once or twice. For long exercises, such as a two-octave scale up and down, use every 8 or 16. The estimated total time under the display helps you fit the workout into the time you have: 60 to 120 BPM with +5 every 4 bars in 4/4 takes about two and a half minutes.
Ladder mode and gap bar
In ladder mode the metronome climbs to the target BPM, comes back down to the start in the same steps and starts the cycle again. Coming down after going up is great for shaking off the tension that crept in at high speed: you play the passage relaxed again, now with the memory of the fast tempo.
The gap bar silences one randomly chosen bar in every group of 2 to 8 bars (never the first of the group). Keep playing through the silence: when the click comes back, you hear right away whether you rushed or dragged. That is the test of your inner clock, which matters more than top speed.
Time signatures, accent and sounds
4/4 is the time signature of pop, rock and country; 3/4 is the waltz; 2/4 is the march and the polka. 6/8 moves in two pulses of three eighth notes: the small dots mark the eighth notes and the BPM applies to the pulse (the dotted quarter). With Accent on beat one checked, the first click of every bar is louder and higher, which helps you keep count of the bars until the next increase.
The sounds are synthesized on the fly: woodblock (dry, good for guitar), beep (cuts through drums and amps) and clave (a sharp, high crack for percussion and for practicing with headphones).
Tips
- Record yourself playing along with the speed trainer: on the recording you can find the exact BPM where the passage started to get sloppy.
- With a big step (+10 or +20) use more bars per level, otherwise the next jump comes before your hands have settled.
- Practicing against the clock? Check the estimated total time and adjust the step until the workout fits the minutes you have.
- If the click gets lost under the band, switch to the beep or use wired headphones; Bluetooth adds a small fixed delay, but the tempo itself stays exact.
- Before you work on speed, check your tuning with the online tuner and find the song's tempo with the BPM counter.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between this speed trainer and a regular metronome?
A regular metronome stays at the BPM you set. The speed trainer climbs by itself, from the start BPM to the target, in steps every few bars, and shows the current BPM, a progress bar and the bars left until the next increase. Lalatone's online metronome also has a tempo trainer, but this page is built around speed practice, with ladder mode, gap bar, saved workouts and a shareable link.
What happens when it reaches the target BPM?
Without ladder mode, the metronome keeps going at the target BPM until you press Stop; the line under the number tells you it got there. In ladder mode it comes back down to the start BPM and starts the cycle again.
Can the metronome slow down instead of speeding up?
Yes: type a target BPM lower than the start BPM. It goes down by the same step every few bars. That is useful for slow passages and for the end of a practice session, when you want to wind down.
How do I save a workout to use it again?
Under Saved workouts, give it a name ("G major scale", for example) and press Save: start and target BPM, step, bars, time signature, ladder and gap bar are stored on this device only. To send it to someone or open it on another device, use Copy workout link: the link opens with everything filled in.
How does the gap bar work?
In every group of N bars (you choose 2 to 8), one randomly chosen bar is silent, never the first of the group. The dots go dim and the line under the number tells you. Keep playing: when the click comes back, you can tell whether you rushed or dragged.
In 6/8, is the BPM the eighth note or the pulse?
The pulse: here 6/8 is two pulses of three eighth notes per bar, and the BPM is the dotted quarter. The small dots mark the eighth notes with a softer click. If your sheet music gives the tempo in eighth notes, divide it by 3.
Does the tempo drift on a phone?
No: the clicks are scheduled ahead of time on the browser's audio clock, and every BPM change lands exactly on the first beat of a bar. There is only a fixed output delay, larger with Bluetooth headphones, which the dots and the number compensate for. The screen stays on while it plays.