Guide
140 BPM Metronome: the complete guide
By Vivek Badoni, music teacher · Updated
This online metronome opens at 140 BPM, a fast, energetic tempo. Press Start to begin, and change the tempo, time signature, subdivisions or sound, or use tap tempo, whenever you like.
Note lengths at 140 BPM
| Note value | Per beat | Length | Notes per second |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter note | 1 | 0.43 s | 2.3 |
| Eighth notes | 2 | 0.21 s each | 4.7 |
| Triplets | 3 | 0.14 s each | 7.0 |
| Sixteenth notes | 4 | 0.11 s each | 9.3 |
Music at 140 BPM
140 BPM is in the Allegro to Vivace range: driving rock, punk, ska, energetic film and dance tracks. In some genres the beat is felt in half time, so a 140 BPM track can feel like a heavy, slow 70.
A ladder to 140
Speed comes from accuracy and relaxation, built up over days. Use a ladder like this, staying on each step until you can play the passage cleanly three times in a row:
| Step | Tempo | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 BPM | Learn it perfectly here first |
| 2 | 110 BPM | Keep the same relaxed hand |
| 3 | 120 BPM | Breathe; don't tense up |
| 4 | 130 BPM | Slow back down if mistakes creep in |
| 5 | 140 BPM | Then practise 145 so 140 feels easy |
The halving trick: sixteenth notes at 70 BPM move at exactly the same speed as eighth notes at 140. If a fast passage is a struggle, set the tempo to 70, turn on 16ths, and get it perfect there first.
Need a slower tempo? Try the 120 BPM metronome, or set any tempo from 30 to 260 BPM in the online metronome.
