What does “big beats per minute” mean in 6/8?

6/8 has six eighth notes in a bar, but you feel them as two big beats of three. Tempo & Time counts the tempo in those big beats (dotted quarters), the speed you would tap your foot to, and shows the eighth-note speed underneath: 60 big beats is 180 eighth notes.

Why does Guess it accept both 2 and 6 beats for 6/8?

Both are fair answers: two big beats, or six small ones. What it does not accept is 3, because hearing 6/8 as 3/4 is exactly the mix-up it is there to fix. Beat feel — straight or lilting — then tells 2/4 and 6/8 apart.

How is it different from Pulse?

Pulse is a story and a game about naming time signatures. Tempo & Time is a practice tool for tempo and metre together: you set the bar up, play along, take the help away step by step, and test yourself with Guess it.

Does it keep time with the screen off?

Yes. The beat is scheduled on the audio clock from a background timer, so it holds while the tab is hidden, and Stop after still fires. After a phone call, practice picks up where it was; a Guess it round stops.

Is anything sent to a server?

No. The sounds are made in your browser — the piano is a recording cached on your device after first use — and your setups, history and guide ticks are kept in this browser’s local storage.

Tempo & Time

A free browser tool for learning tempo and time signatures by ear — for beginners finding the beat, students working out 6/8, and players stuck on 7/8. No sign-up; install it and it works offline. A ring draws one bar so you can see where every beat falls; change accents, groupings and sounds, then take the help away with silent bars, random gaps and a hidden ring. Guess it plays eight bars with the numbers hidden and asks you to name the speed, tempo, beats per bar and feel. A short guide in two paths walks from a steady pulse to odd metres.

How to use Tempo & Time

Press Play. The ring draws one bar and the hand goes round once per bar; the amber dot is beat 1.
Set the tempo with the slider, − and +, or Tap tempo. In 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8 the tempo is counted in big beats, with the eighth-note speed shown underneath.
Pick a time signature: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 or 6/8, or open More time signatures for odd and additive metres, or type your own grouping such as 3+2+2.
Tap a dot or a beat pad to make that beat strong, medium, soft or silent. Choose Click, Wood block, Piano or Groove, and turn the click down under the groove.
Take the help away as you get steadier: View · Beats or View · Hidden, silent bars, random gaps, or a tempo ramp. Sessions over 15 seconds are kept in Your practice.
Switch to Guess it: eight bars play with the ring hidden. Answer, then reveal to see the bar and why. Practise this opens the round in the practice controls.

Frequently asked questions

What does “big beats per minute” mean in 6/8?: 6/8 has six eighth notes in a bar, but you feel them as two big beats of three. Tempo & Time counts the tempo in those big beats (dotted quarters), the speed you would tap your foot to, and shows the eighth-note speed underneath: 60 big beats is 180 eighth notes.
Why does Guess it accept both 2 and 6 beats for 6/8?: Both are fair answers: two big beats, or six small ones. What it does not accept is 3, because hearing 6/8 as 3/4 is exactly the mix-up it is there to fix. Beat feel — straight or lilting — then tells 2/4 and 6/8 apart.
How is it different from Pulse?: Pulse is a story and a game about naming time signatures. Tempo & Time is a practice tool for tempo and metre together: you set the bar up, play along, take the help away step by step, and test yourself with Guess it.
Does it keep time with the screen off?: Yes. The beat is scheduled on the audio clock from a background timer, so it holds while the tab is hidden, and Stop after still fires. After a phone call, practice picks up where it was; a Guess it round stops.
Is anything sent to a server?: No. The sounds are made in your browser — the piano is a recording cached on your device after first use — and your setups, history and guide ticks are kept in this browser’s local storage.

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