Tap tempo: find the BPM of a song by tapping
Tap the button on every beat while the song plays, or press Space on a keyboard. After 6 to 8 taps you have the tempo in BPM, plus the delay time in milliseconds for each note value.
Updated
How to get a steady reading
- Find the pulse you would tap your foot to, not the hi-hat or the vocal rhythm.
- Tap through at least two bars before you trust the number.
- If the reading drifts, stop for three seconds. The count starts over on your next tap.
- Round to the nearest number your metronome or click track can set.
BPM to milliseconds
A quarter note lasts 60,000 / BPM milliseconds. Use these to set a delay pedal or reverb pre-delay so the repeats land on the beat.
| BPM | Quarter | Dotted 8th | 8th | 16th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | 1000 ms | 750 ms | 500 ms | 250 ms |
| 80 | 750 ms | 563 ms | 375 ms | 188 ms |
| 90 | 667 ms | 500 ms | 333 ms | 167 ms |
| 100 | 600 ms | 450 ms | 300 ms | 150 ms |
| 120 | 500 ms | 375 ms | 250 ms | 125 ms |
| 140 | 429 ms | 321 ms | 214 ms | 107 ms |
| 160 | 375 ms | 281 ms | 188 ms | 94 ms |
Tempo markings in BPM
Classical scores name a tempo instead of a number. These ranges are approximate; metronome makers and textbooks draw the lines a little differently.
| Marking | BPM | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Largo | 40-60 | very slow, broad |
| Adagio | 66-76 | slow |
| Andante | 76-108 | walking pace |
| Moderato | 108-120 | moderate |
| Allegro | 120-168 | fast, bright |
| Presto | 168-200 | very fast |
Why bands should write tempos down
Songs speed up on stage. Adrenaline pushes the count-in faster than it felt in rehearsal, and the ballad that felt right in rehearsal turns into a mid-tempo tune. Whoever counts in needs the agreed number in front of them, not a memory of how it felt last time.
That is why every song in Setlist has a tempo field with the same tap button built in. Tap it once in rehearsal, and the number shows next to the song in the set and in the stage view. More on that in how to run a setlist on stage.
Common questions
How do I find the BPM of a song?
Play the song and tap the button on every beat (usually where you would tap your foot) for 8 or more beats. The tool averages the time between your taps and turns it into beats per minute.
How many taps does it take to get an accurate BPM?
Two taps give a number, but it jumps around. After 6 to 8 steady taps the reading usually settles within 1 or 2 BPM of the real tempo. The tool keeps your last 8 taps, so it follows you if the tempo changes.
Why does my reading come out double or half the tempo I expected?
You are tapping eighth notes or half notes instead of the beat. A ballad tapped on every eighth note reads twice as fast. Neither is wrong; pick the pulse the band counts off on.
How do I convert BPM to milliseconds?
Divide 60,000 by the BPM to get one quarter note in milliseconds. At 120 BPM that is 500 ms. A dotted eighth is three quarters of that (375 ms), an eighth is half (250 ms).
What is a normal tempo for a song?
Most pop and rock songs sit between 90 and 130 BPM. Ballads often fall under 80, and up-tempo swing tunes can run past 200. The right tempo is the one your band agreed on, so write it down next to the song.