# Metronome

The metronome plays a click so you can practice a song at the right speed. Every song page has one, and it starts at the song's own tempo and time signature.

## Start and stop

The quickest way is the metronome button in the toolbar at the bottom of the chart. Select it to start the click, and again to stop.

The **Metronome** card has the full controls. It's beside the chart on a computer, and in the **Settings & Tools** panel on a tablet or phone, which opens from the button at the bottom right of the chart.

![The Metronome card set to 92 bpm. Four dots sit above the number, one for each beat. Below it are minus and plus buttons, a slider, a choice of 4/4, 3/4 or 6/8 with 4/4 selected, a choice of three note lengths with the longest selected, and Tap and Start buttons.](https://songstead.app/docs/metronome/card.webp)

Select **Start** to begin and **Stop** to end. The dots at the top light up on each beat, and the first beat of each bar is accented so you can hear where the bar starts.

## Controls

| Control | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Tempo | The number in the middle, in beats per minute. The **−** and **+** buttons change it one at a time, and the slider moves it quickly. It goes from 20 to 250. |
| Tap | Tap it along with the music, and the tempo follows your taps. Handy when you know how a song feels but not its number. |
| Time signature | **4/4**, **3/4** or **6/8**. In 6/8 the fourth beat gets a lighter accent too. |
| Note length | Clicks once per beat, twice per beat, or four times per beat. More clicks help with tricky rhythms and slow practice. |

## Saving a tempo

Changing the metronome doesn't change the song. To keep a tempo for next time, edit the song and set its **Tempo** and **Time Signature**. See [Songs](https://songstead.app/docs/songs.md).