Metronome for kids
A free online metronome for kids with big buttons, a flashing beat, and the Italian tempo words from Largo to Presto. Works on a phone or a tablet.
90 beats a minute
Andante
At a walking speed
Jump to a tempo word
The tempo words
| Word | What it means | About how fast |
|---|---|---|
| Largo | Slow and broad | 40 to 59 beats a minute |
| Adagio | Slow and calm | 60 to 75 beats a minute |
| Andante | At a walking speed | 76 to 107 beats a minute |
| Moderato | At a medium speed | 108 to 119 beats a minute |
| Allegro | Fast and bright | 120 to 167 beats a minute |
| Presto | Faster than allegro | 168 to 208 beats a minute |
What a metronome does
A metronome clicks at a steady speed. The speed is counted in beats a minute. At 60, it clicks once each second. At 120, it clicks twice each second. Musicians practice with one to keep the beat even.
How to use it with a child
Start slower than the child wants. Set the speed where they can play the hard part with no mistakes. Play it three times in a row. Then move the speed up by four beats and try again. Small steps work better than one big jump.
Before the instrument, try the beat with the body. Clap with the clicks. Walk with the clicks. Say "ta" with the clicks. A child who can clap with a metronome can learn to play with one.
Use "Beats in a bar" to hear a strong first beat. Choose 3 for a waltz and 4 for a march. "Tap the beat" works the other way round. Tap the button along with a recording, and the tool shows the speed of the music.
About the tempo words
Composers often write an Italian word at the top of a piece to say how fast it goes. The words give a feel, not an exact number, and metronomes from different makers print slightly different ranges. The table above shows common ones. Print the tempo and dynamics word cards to practice the words away from the screen.
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