Metronome
Set the tempo, or tap it, and practise to a steady click.
Andante
90
BPM
Press space to start or stop.
How to use the metronome
Set a tempo between 40 and 240 beats per minute, or tap the beat of a song you hear and let the metronome work it out. Pick the meter — 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 or 6/8 — and the first beat of each bar gets an accent, so you always know where "one" is.
Practising with a click
Start a new lick or chord change slowly enough to play it cleanly, then raise the tempo a few beats per minute at a time. Clean and slow beats fast and messy: speed comes from repetition at a tempo you can control.
Questions
What tempo should I practise at?
The fastest tempo at which you can play the passage without mistakes — usually much slower than the record. When it feels easy three times in a row, go up 4 to 8 BPM.
How do I find the tempo of a song?
Tap along with the beat using tap tempo. Or upload the song to easyimprov: the analysis gives you its tempo along with its key and chords.