Music theory definition
BPM
Beats per minute: the number of steady clicks in one minute. At 60 BPM, there is one click every second.
The beat
The is the steady you tap your foot to. Its speed is the , in .
Learn it in context
This term is introduced in Unit 2: Rhythm. Work through the explanations and exercises to connect the definition with music.
- Feel the beat
The steady pulse underneath all music, and how fast it goes.
Explore with an interactive tool
- Metronome & rhythm tapper
Keep a steady beat at any tempo, or tap along to rhythms and see how close you are.
Related music terms
- Rhythm
- The pattern of long sounds, short sounds, and silences in music. Try clapping the words of a song: that is its rhythm.
- Metronome
- A tool that makes evenly spaced clicks, helping you keep a steady beat. Change its speed to practise slower or faster.
- Count-in
- A few clicks before you begin, so you can hear the speed and get ready. In these exercises, listen to four clicks, then start on the next one.
- Quarter note
- A note that lasts one beat in 4/4 time. Tap once when it begins, then wait for the next beat.
- Half note
- A note that lasts two beats in 4/4 time. Tap once, then let it last through the next beat.
- Whole note
- A note that lasts four beats in 4/4 time. It begins once and keeps going for all four counts.