Free tempo tool
Tap tempo — find BPM
Tap along to a steady beat to estimate its tempo. Use the button, Space or Enter while the button is focused, or the T key.
The short answer
Two taps 0.5 seconds apart give 120 BPM: 0.5 seconds per beat and 2 seconds per four-beat measure. Tap steadily to average the last 4, 8 or 16 taps.
Calculate music time
Tap the button, press T outside a field, or focus the button and use Space or Enter. Hold counts once. Your result stays visible; after a 3-second pause, the next tap starts a new measurement.
Tap at least twice to measure BPM.
Times are rounded to three decimal places.
Static reference table
Reference times for a quarter-note beat at normal speed.
| BPM | 1 beat (s) | 4 beats (s) |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | 1 | 4 |
| 72 | 0.83 | 3.33 |
| 80 | 0.75 | 3 |
| 90 | 0.67 | 2.67 |
| 100 | 0.6 | 2.4 |
| 110 | 0.55 | 2.18 |
| 120 | 0.5 | 2 |
| 132 | 0.45 | 1.82 |
| 140 | 0.43 | 1.71 |
| 160 | 0.38 | 1.5 |
| 180 | 0.33 | 1.33 |
| 200 | 0.3 | 1.2 |
How tap tempo works
BPM = 60,000 ÷ average interval in milliseconds. The calculator averages the intervals between the last 4, 8 or 16 taps, rather than averaging individual BPM estimates. It starts after two taps and keeps the result visible when you stop. After a pause of 3 seconds, the next tap starts a new measurement.
Use this in SheetCue
Import your PDF or score photos to practice with measures on screen. When measures are found, SheetCue starts at 80 BPM and four beats per measure. Set the tempo yourself in “Tempo” or use “Tap to set”. These values control on-screen measure timing; the app does not read notes or detect tempo. Check SheetCue Plus pricing and terms in the app or store.
Keep a steady beat
Tap once per beat and choose the matching number of beats per measure. Very fast duplicate taps under 50 ms are ignored. Tap tempo follows your timing; it is an estimate, not automatic tempo detection. This web tool does not produce a metronome click.
Frequently asked questions
How many taps do I need?
Two taps give the first estimate. Keep tapping for a steadier average of up to 4, 8 or 16 taps. More taps smooth small timing differences but take longer to follow a tempo change.
Which keys can I use?
Press T outside a form field, or focus the tap button and use Space or Enter. Held keys count once. You can also click or touch the button.
When does a new measurement start?
Your result stays visible when you stop tapping. After a pause of 3 seconds, the next tap clears the previous taps and starts a new measurement. You can also use Reset at any time.
Practice your score with SheetCue
Bring your own PDF or score photos and set the timing for measure-by-measure practice.