Practice

How to Use a Metronome for Guitar Practice

From your first click to a useful practice log: simple exercises for hearing the beat and playing clearly.

By Dorica TeamPublished Nov 5, 20264 min read

A metronome doesn't have to turn practice into a race against the number on the screen. It's a reference that helps you hear where each note lands and notice when a passage starts to lose clarity. Grab your guitar, pick a comfortable note, and let's listen to the clicks.

What is the click marking?

BPM means beats per minute. In this guide, each click represents a quarter note: the beat you count as “1, 2, 3, 4.” At 60 BPM, for example, there are 60 clicks per minute. Some metronomes can accent a beat or play subdivision clicks; for now, use one identical click per beat so the reference is easy to follow.

In a bar of 4/4, count four beats and return to 1. The space between two clicks can be divided into equal parts:

Quarter notes: one note per beat. Play on the click and count “1, 2, 3, 4.”
Eighth notes: two notes per beat. Count “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and”; the numbers land on the clicks and the “ands” halfway between them.
Sixteenth notes: four notes per beat. Count “1 e and a, 2 e and a” and so on, with the number on the click and the other three syllables evenly spaced before the next one.

In the tab below, each bar has four clicks. Play the open low E string: the first bar uses quarter notes, the second eighth notes, and the third sixteenth notes. Keep the BPM the same.

Tab

e|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|B|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|G|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|D|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|A|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|E|-0-------0-------0-------0-------|-0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|

There's no need to say it fast at first. Count one beat at a time and listen for equal spaces between the notes. The syllables are just a counting aid; the even division is what matters.

Tempo is not note density

BPM determines the speed of the beats; the subdivision determines how many notes fit into each one. At 60 BPM, continuous quarter notes make 60 notes per minute, eighth notes make 120, and sixteenth notes make 240. The click stays at 60 BPM in all three cases. Doubling the BPM while keeping the same subdivision, on the other hand, doubles the speed of the notes.

Find a starting point

Try 60 BPM with one note per click. If it's hard to follow, adjust to a tempo where you can hear the clicks and place the note with them; if it feels easy, try another. Choose again when you change exercise or subdivision: sixteenth notes at 60 BPM require four notes in the time of one quarter note, so they may be too fast even when the quarter notes feel comfortable.

Keep the metronome audible alongside the guitar. First count or tap your foot for a few clicks, then play. If the note consistently sounds a little before or after the click, lower the tempo and listen to the space between them. You don't have to get everything right on the first try.

Three ways to practice listening

Exercise

One note per click

Suggested tempo: 60 BPM

Choose an open string and play one note on each click for four beats. Stop playing for four beats, keep counting, and start again on the next 1. Repeat a few times. The pause shows whether you can keep count without playing.

Exercise

Subdivide without speeding up the click

Suggested tempo: 60 BPM

On the same string, play one bar of quarter notes, one of eighth notes, and one of sixteenth notes; then return to quarter notes. Count four clicks per bar. For eighth notes, play on the click and halfway between clicks; for sixteenths, space four notes evenly per click. If the transition gets confusing, practice two subdivisions at a time or lower the BPM.

Exercise

Leave some space

Suggested tempo: 60 BPM

Count “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.” Play only on the numbers in the first bar and only on the “ands” in the second, keeping the count and clicks going. Don't add a note on the click during the second bar. Then alternate the two bars: it's a way to hear notes between the beats, not just on them.

The values above are suggestions, not targets. Use comfortable pick strokes; when practicing alternate picking, keep the down-up sequence on the notes you play. For work on both hands, see how to synchronize your hands on guitar. To apply the click to other patterns, try these alternate picking exercises.

When to change the BPM

Choose a short passage and repeat it at the same tempo. If you can play it a few times with clear notes, steady rhythm, and comfort, try increasing by 2 to 4 BPM. Listen again: if you lose the beat or the notes get tangled, return to the previous tempo or lower it further. Even when the faster tempo works, you can return to a comfortable one and listen to the passage again. A break can help too. You don't need to increase the number every session; a slower tempo may be best for learning a new pattern.

If you feel pain, stop playing. If it persists, seek professional guidance.

Write down what happened

Record the date, exercise, BPM, subdivision, and a short observation. For example: “Nov 5 — open string — 60 BPM — eighth notes — four steady bars; sixteenths still uneven.” Next session, you'll have a reference without mistaking a change of subdivision for an increase in tempo. Alongside the number, note whether you could hear the spaces and play clearly.

Want to make this part of your day? Try the guitar practice routine.