Metronome with Custom Subdivisions

What Is the IndiPiano Advanced Metronome?

The IndiPiano Advanced Metronome is a free online metronome that goes far beyond a simple click. Like any good metronome, it keeps a steady beat at any tempo from 20 to 300 BPM, but its real strength is subdivisions. Every beat of the bar appears on screen as a large beat pad, and under each pad sits a row of numbered subdivision blocks. As the metronome plays, the active beat pad and the active subdivision block light up exactly in time with the sound, so you can see and hear every subdivision of every beat. This visual subdivision display makes it easy to learn complex rhythm timing, understand how any time signature is divided, and practise rhythms such as triplets, quintuplets, septuplets and mixed groupings with real accuracy.

You can divide each beat into 1 to 9 notes, from plain quarter notes to eighth notes, triplets, sixteenth notes, quintuplets, sextuplets, septuplets, thirty-second notes and nonuplets, and you can even give every beat in the bar its own subdivision, for example two notes on beat 1, three on beat 2, four on beat 3 and five on beat 4. The metronome supports more than 130 time signatures, from 1/4 to 16/4, from 1/8 to 24/8 and down to 64th-note meters, along with additive and asymmetric groupings such as 7/8 as 2+2+3, Aksak 9/8 as 2+2+2+3, and Bulgarian 10/8 and 12/8 rhythms. A custom mode lets you type any number of beats per bar from 1 to 32.

Each beat can be set to accent, normal, soft or mute, and there are practice tools that serious musicians use every day: tap tempo, swing, count-in, an automatic speed trainer, silent bars for gap training, a practice timer, saved presets, eight soft and pleasant click sounds with a separate accent sound, a volume boost up to 200 percent, a swinging pendulum, screen flash and vibration on the beat. The timing engine uses precise audio scheduling, so the beat stays rock steady even on phones. The Advanced Metronome runs entirely in your browser on phones, tablets and computers, with no download and no sign-up.

Why I Built This Metronome

My own search for a subdivision metronome

As a musician, I wanted to train myself to feel and play many different subdivisions accurately, and to move confidently between time signatures such as 5/4, 7/8 and 9/8. I needed a metronome that would not just click the beat, but would show me each subdivision clearly on screen, let me change the subdivision of each beat, and help me understand how odd and compound meters are grouped. I searched for a long time across apps and websites, but I could not find a single metronome that did all of this in a clear, visual and easy way.

Building the metronome I needed

So I decided to build it myself. The IndiPiano Advanced Metronome is the result: a metronome with highlighted subdivision blocks for every beat, a different subdivision on each beat, more than 130 time signatures with real additive groupings, and practice tools that help you build accuracy step by step. To my knowledge, it is the only metronome that brings all of these subdivision features together with this kind of clear, beat-by-beat visual display. I use it for my own practice every day, and I hope it helps you build the same strong rhythm sense and timing accuracy it has given me.

How to Use the Advanced Metronome: Step by Step

Step 1: Set the tempo

In the Tempo panel, type a tempo between 20 and 300 BPM into the large number box, drag the tempo slider, or press the −1, +1, −5 and +5 buttons. Hold a button down to change the tempo quickly. The Italian tempo name, such as Largo, Andante, Moderato, Allegro or Presto, updates with the number, and the label underneath shows which note value gets the beat, such as quarter note in 4/4 or eighth note in 7/8.

Step 2: Or tap the tempo

If you know the speed of a song but not the number, press Tap in the top bar, or press the T key on your keyboard, several times in time with the music. The metronome averages your last taps and sets the BPM for you. If you pause for more than about two seconds, a new tap count starts.

Step 3: Choose a time signature

Open the Time signature menu. The list is organised into groups: Common time signatures such as 4/4, 3/4, 2/4, 2/2, 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8; quarter-note meters from 1/4 to 16/4; half-note meters from 1/2 to 12/2; whole-note meters from 1/1 to 4/1; eighth-note meters from 1/8 to 24/8; additive and asymmetric groupings such as 5/4 (3+2), 7/8 (2+2+3) or 11/8 (2+2+3+2+2); sixteenth-note meters; thirty-second-note meters; and sixty-fourth-note meters. As soon as you choose, the beat pads redraw to match the number of beats.

Step 4: Or type your own beats per bar

Choose Custom – type beats at the top of the list and type any number of beats per bar from 1 to 32. Beat 1 gets the accent by default. If you type a number that is too big or too small, the metronome tells you and sets it to the nearest allowed value.

Step 5: Choose a subdivision

Open the Subdivision menu and choose how many notes you want in each beat: 1 Note, 2 Notes, 3 Notes (Triplet), 4 Notes, 5 Notes (Quintuplet), 6 Notes (Sextuplet), 7 Notes (Septuplet), 8 Notes or 9 Notes (Nonuplet). Numbered subdivision blocks appear under every beat pad, one for each note of the subdivision. The subdivision clicks play at a lower pitch and softer level than the main beat, so you can always hear where the beat falls.

Step 6: Give each beat its own subdivision

Under Subdivision of each beat, every beat of the bar has its own menu. Set each one to any value from 1 to 9 notes. For example, in 4/4 you can play 2 notes on beat 1, 3 notes on beat 2, 4 notes on beat 3 and 1 note on beat 4. The blocks under each pad update immediately, so you can see your rhythm before you even start.

Step 7: Set the accents

Tap any beat pad to cycle it through Accent, Normal, Soft and Mute. The colour of the pad changes to show its state, and a legend explains the colours. Accented beats play a louder, higher click, soft beats play quietly, and muted beats are silent. In eighth-note meters, the metronome automatically accents the start of each group, such as beats 1 and 4 in 6/8, so compound and additive meters feel right from the start.

Step 8: Press Start and follow the blocks

Press Start in the top bar, or press the Space bar. The pendulum swings with the beat, the current beat pad lights up, and the current subdivision block under it lights up in perfect sync with the sound. The status pills show Playing, the current bar number and the elapsed time. Press Stop or Space again to stop.

Step 9: Choose the sound and volume

Press Sound in the top bar to open the sound settings. Choose from Soft click, Soft woodblock, Soft clave, Soft rim, Soft shaker, Mellow cowbell, Chime bell and Soft beep, and choose an Accent sound, either the same sound at a higher pitch or any of the eight sounds. Press Play sample to hear your choice. In the Tempo panel, set the volume from 0 to 200 percent, or tap 50%, 100%, 150% or 200% for a quick change. Higher volumes are useful with loud instruments such as drums or brass.

Step 10: Open the practice tools

Open the Practice tools tab to add swing, a count-in, the speed trainer, silent bars and a practice timer. Open the Presets tab to load a built-in preset or save your own settings, and the Options tab to turn on vibration on the beat, screen flash on the beat, or keep the screen awake.

Understanding Rhythm, Subdivisions and Time Signatures

Beat and tempo

The beat is the steady pulse you tap your foot to, and the tempo is how fast the beats go, measured in beats per minute (BPM). At 60 BPM there is one beat every second, and at 120 BPM there are two beats every second.

Subdivision

A subdivision splits one beat into smaller, equal parts. Dividing a quarter-note beat into 2 gives eighth notes, into 3 gives triplets, into 4 gives sixteenth notes, and so on. Practising with subdivisions is one of the best ways to improve timing, because it fills the space between the beats with a clear grid, so you can place every note exactly.

Tuplets: triplets, quintuplets, sextuplets, septuplets and nonuplets

A tuplet is a group of notes that fits into the space of a beat in a way that does not follow the usual division by 2. A triplet puts 3 equal notes in one beat, a quintuplet 5, a sextuplet 6, a septuplet 7 and a nonuplet 9. These groupings are common in classical, jazz, progressive rock, fusion, drumming and Indian rhythmic practice, and they are hard to feel without practice. The highlighted subdivision blocks let you see each note of the tuplet as you hear it.

Time signature

A time signature has two numbers. The top number tells you how many beats are in each bar, and the bottom number tells you which note value gets one beat: 4 means a quarter note, 8 an eighth note, 2 a half note, 16 a sixteenth note and so on. So 3/4 has three quarter-note beats per bar, and 7/8 has seven eighth-note beats per bar.

Simple and compound meters

In simple meters such as 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4, each beat divides naturally into two. In compound meters such as 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8, the eighth notes are grouped in threes, so 6/8 feels like two big beats, 9/8 like three and 12/8 like four. The metronome accents the start of each group of three to make this feeling clear.

Odd, additive and asymmetric meters

Odd meters such as 5/4, 7/8 and 11/8 are often felt as a mix of groups of 2 and 3. For example, 7/8 can be 2+2+3, 3+2+2 or 2+3+2. These are called additive or asymmetric meters, and they are common in Balkan, Turkish, Greek, progressive and film music. The metronome includes many of these groupings, such as Aksak 9/8 (2+2+2+3) and Bulgarian 10/8 (3+2+2+3) and 12/8 (2+2+3+2+3), and accents the start of each group.

Accent

An accent is a beat played louder or stronger than the others. In most music the first beat of the bar, the downbeat, is accented. Changing the accents in the metronome lets you practise different feels, such as accenting beats 2 and 4 for a backbeat.

Swing

Swing is a rhythmic feel where pairs of even notes are played long-short instead of equal, as in jazz, blues and shuffle grooves. The swing control shifts the off-beat subdivisions later, from 0 percent (straight) to 100 percent (a strong swing), and it applies to even subdivisions such as 2, 4, 6 and 8 notes.

Count-in

A count-in is one or two bars of clicks before the music begins, so you can feel the tempo before you start playing. The status shows Count-in during these bars.

Gap training

Gap training, also called silent bar practice, is when the metronome plays for a few bars and then goes silent for a few bars. You keep playing through the silence, and when the click returns you can hear whether you stayed in time or drifted. It is one of the best exercises for building an internal sense of time.

Rhythm sense and internal clock

Rhythm sense is your ability to feel the pulse and place notes accurately without relying on outside help. A metronome builds rhythm sense when you use it as a guide, then gradually rely on it less with tools such as silent bars.

Key Features of the Advanced Metronome

Highlighted subdivision blocks for every beat

The feature that makes this metronome unique: each beat pad has its own row of numbered subdivision blocks, and the active block lights up in perfect sync with the sound. You see exactly where you are inside every beat, which turns abstract rhythm theory into something you can watch and follow. The display automatically resizes the pads and blocks to fit your screen, even with many beats and many subdivisions.

Subdivisions from 1 to 9 notes per beat

Choose 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 notes per beat, covering straight notes, eighths, triplets, sixteenths, quintuplets, sextuplets, septuplets, thirty-seconds and nonuplets.

A different subdivision on every beat

Set the subdivision of each beat separately, so you can practise mixed rhythms, polyrhythmic feels and changing groupings within one bar.

More than 130 time signatures

The time signature list covers quarter, half, whole, eighth, sixteenth, thirty-second and sixty-fourth note meters, common signatures, and 29 additive and asymmetric groupings, plus a custom mode for 1 to 32 beats per bar.

Smart accents for compound and additive meters

Eighth-note meters and additive groupings get automatic group accents, and every beat can be changed to accent, normal, soft or mute by tapping its pad.

Wide tempo range with tap tempo

Set any tempo from 20 to 300 BPM with the number box, slider and ±1 and ±5 buttons, or tap the tempo. Italian tempo markings from Larghissimo to Prestissimo are shown beside the number.

Precise timing engine

The metronome schedules every click ahead of time on the audio clock using a background worker, and compensates for audio output delay on the display, so the sound and the highlighted blocks stay in sync and the timing stays stable even when the screen is busy or the device is slow. On iPhone and iPad, it keeps the audio active so the beat does not stop unexpectedly.

Eight soft sounds with separate accent sound

Soft click, soft woodblock, soft clave, soft rim, soft shaker, mellow cowbell, chime bell and soft beep are designed to be clear but pleasant over long practice sessions. The accent sound can be a higher version of the same sound or any other sound.

Volume up to 200 percent

Boost the volume up to 200 percent with a built-in limiter that keeps the sound clean, so the click cuts through loud instruments.

Practice tools

Swing from 0 to 100 percent, count-in of 1 or 2 bars, an automatic speed trainer that adds 1 to 20 BPM every 1 to 32 bars up to a target tempo (or down to a lower one), silent bars that play 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 bars and stay silent for 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 bars, and a practice timer from 1 to 60 minutes that stops with “Session complete”.

Presets

Load built-in presets such as Ballad (66 BPM, 4/4), Waltz (90 BPM, 3/4), Rock groove (120 BPM, 4/4), Shuffle (100 BPM, swing), Compound (80 BPM, 6/8) and Speed builder (80 to 120 BPM), and save your own presets with a name in your browser to load them any time.

Visual pendulum, flash and vibration

An animated pendulum swings with the beat, the screen can flash orange on accents and blue on other beats, and supported phones can vibrate on the beat, so you can feel the pulse even in a loud room.

Keyboard shortcuts, themes and full screen

Space starts and stops, the arrow keys change the tempo by 1 (or by 5 with Shift), and T taps the tempo. Light and dark themes, full screen mode and a keep screen awake option make long practice comfortable on any device.

What You Can Do With the Advanced Metronome

Learn subdivisions step by step

Set a slow tempo and move from 1 to 2, 3, 4 and higher subdivisions while watching the blocks. Count each subdivision aloud and clap or play along until each one feels natural.

Master triplets and other tuplets

Switch between 2 and 3 notes per beat to feel the difference between eighth notes and triplets, then move on to quintuplets and septuplets, which are some of the hardest rhythms to play evenly.

Practise mixed rhythms within one bar

Use Subdivision of each beat to build bars such as 2-3-4-3 and practise switching smoothly between groupings, a skill needed in drumming, jazz, classical études and modern music.

Understand odd and compound time signatures

Choose 6/8, 9/8, 12/8, 5/4, 7/8 or 11/8 and watch how the accents and groups fall. Seeing the grouping on screen makes it far easier to feel these meters in your body.

Practise Indian rhythm and laya work

Use custom beats per bar and subdivisions to practise laya patterns, dugun and tigun style speed doubling and tripling, and cycles of different lengths, such as 7, 10, 12 or 16 beats.

Build speed with the speed trainer

Set a starting tempo, choose how many BPM to add and how often, and set a target. The metronome raises the tempo automatically, so you can focus on playing.

Strengthen your internal clock

Turn on silent bars, for example 2 bars of click and 2 bars of silence. Keep playing through the gaps and check whether you land exactly on the beat when the click returns.

Practise swing and shuffle grooves

Use 2 notes per beat and raise the swing control to practise jazz, blues and shuffle feels, or load the Shuffle preset.

Time your practice

Set the practice timer to 10, 20 or 30 minutes and let the metronome stop when your session is complete.

Teach rhythm in class

Teachers can show the highlighted beat pads and blocks on a large screen, so the whole class can see the subdivisions while they clap, sing or play.

Tips for Better Rhythm Practice

Start slower than you think

Choose a tempo where you can play every note perfectly in time. Accuracy at a slow tempo builds the control you need for fast tempos.

Count the subdivisions aloud

Say “1 and 2 and” for eighth notes, “1 trip-let 2 trip-let” for triplets, or the subdivision numbers shown on the blocks. Counting aloud links what you see, hear and play.

Watch the blocks, then look away

First follow the highlighted blocks to learn a subdivision, then look away and try to feel it only by sound, and finally use silent bars to feel it on your own.

Use soft beats to hear the subdivision

Set the main beats to normal and listen to the softer subdivision clicks to lock your notes into the grid between the beats.

Move the accents

Put the accent on beat 2 or 4, or on a different subdivision group, to train yourself to hear the beat in different places and avoid always leaning on beat 1.

Raise the tempo in small steps

Increase the tempo by 2 to 5 BPM at a time, or let the speed trainer do it for you. Big jumps often break good technique.

Practise switching subdivisions

Change from 3 to 4 notes per beat and back without stopping. Smooth switching is a sign of real rhythmic control.

Save your practice setups

Save your favourite tempo, time signature and subdivision combinations as presets, so you can start each practice session in one tap.

Use headphones for clarity

Wired headphones give the clearest click and the most accurate timing. If you play a loud instrument, raise the volume up to 200 percent or turn on the screen flash.

Troubleshooting

The Advanced Metronome is already well optimised and adjusts itself to all modern browsers, devices and operating systems, including Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox and Opera on Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone, iPad and Linux, so in most cases you will not face any issues. Still, every browser, device and system is a little different, so if something does not work as expected, please check the points below.

There is no sound when I press Start

Browsers only start audio after you interact with the page, so press Start again after tapping the page once. Check that the volume in the metronome is above 0 percent, that your device volume is up, and that the beats are not all set to Mute. On iPhone and iPad, switch the ring or silent switch to ring, because silent mode can mute web audio.

The beat sounds uneven or delayed

Close other heavy tabs and apps, and avoid Bluetooth speakers or headphones, which can add delay. The metronome schedules sound on the audio clock for stable timing, but very busy or low-power devices may still struggle. Restarting the browser often helps.

The highlighted blocks seem slightly ahead of or behind the sound

The metronome compensates for your device’s audio delay automatically, but some Bluetooth devices report their delay incorrectly. Use the device speaker or wired headphones for the closest match between the sound and the display.

The metronome stops when I lock my phone or switch apps

Mobile browsers may pause web pages in the background to save battery. Keep the metronome on screen and turn on Keep screen awake in the Options tab so your screen does not turn off during practice.

Vibrate on beat or Keep screen awake is missing

These options only appear when your browser supports them. Many iPhone browsers do not support vibration, so the option is hidden there.

My saved presets have disappeared

Presets are saved in your browser’s local storage on this device. They are lost if you clear browsing data, use private or incognito mode, or open the metronome in a different browser or device. If saving is blocked, the metronome shows a message.

The beat pads look very small

With many beats and large subdivisions, the pads and blocks resize to fit the screen. Turn your phone to landscape, use full screen mode, or choose fewer beats per bar for bigger pads.

The keyboard shortcuts do not work

Shortcuts are paused while you are typing in a box or using a menu. Click on an empty part of the metronome and try Space, the arrow keys or T again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Advanced Metronome free?

Yes. The metronome is completely free to use online, with no account, no download and no time limit.

What makes this metronome different from other metronomes?

Its subdivision display. Every beat has its own row of numbered subdivision blocks that light up in sync with the sound, each beat can have its own subdivision from 1 to 9 notes, and more than 130 time signatures with additive groupings are included. This makes it a complete tool for learning and practising complex rhythms, not just a click.

What tempo range does the metronome support?

Any tempo from 20 to 300 BPM, set by typing, the slider, the ±1 and ±5 buttons, the arrow keys or tap tempo.

Can I practise triplets, quintuplets and septuplets?

Yes. Choose 3, 5 or 7 notes per beat in the Subdivision menu, or set them on individual beats, and watch the highlighted blocks as you play.

Can each beat have a different subdivision?

Yes. Use Subdivision of each beat to give every beat in the bar its own subdivision from 1 to 9 notes.

Does the metronome support odd time signatures like 7/8 and 11/8?

Yes. It includes eighth-note meters up to 24/8 and many additive groupings, such as 7/8 as 2+2+3, 3+2+2 or 2+3+2 and 11/8 in three different groupings, with accents on the start of each group.

Can I change which beats are accented?

Yes. Tap any beat pad to switch it between Accent, Normal, Soft and Mute.

What is the speed trainer?

The speed trainer changes the tempo automatically while you play. Choose how many BPM to add, how many bars between changes and the target tempo. Set a target lower than your start tempo to slow down gradually instead.

What are silent bars?

Silent bars make the metronome play for a set number of bars and then go silent for a set number of bars, repeating the cycle. It trains you to keep time on your own.

Can I save my settings?

Yes. Type a name in the Presets tab and press Save preset. Your presets are stored in your browser on this device and appear under My presets.

Does the metronome work on phones and tablets?

Yes. It works on Android phones, iPhones, iPads, tablets, laptops and desktop computers, and the beat pads and blocks resize to fit any screen.

Can I use it for Indian music practice?

Yes. Custom beats per bar from 1 to 32 and subdivisions from 1 to 9 notes make it suitable for practising taal cycles of different lengths and laya work such as doubling and tripling the speed.