Does the beat really never lag?

Right. Instead of scheduling sounds with timers, Pulse Metronome generates the click sample-by-sample inside the audio engine. That's why the beat never drifts or stutters — even at high BPM or while you use other apps.

Does it keep playing with the screen off?

Yes. Background playback keeps the click going when the screen turns off or you switch apps. There's a stop button right in the notification whenever you want to end it.

How do I save a tempo preset?

There's no save button — every time you press START, that tempo is stored in a preset slot automatically. Your recent tempos stay one tap away, and you can long-press a preset to pin it permanently.

Is it only for musicians?

Not at all. Runners use it to lock in their cadence (try 180 BPM), and it works great for dance practice, juggling, breathing exercises — anything that needs a steady rhythm. It's free, tiny to download, and works fully offline.

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How to Use a Metronome for Practice: A Step-by-Step Beginner's Guide

Many players say the metronome makes them play worse. The reason is simple — they start at a tempo that's too fast, on the hardest part of the piece. A metronome isn't a test of your skill; it's a tool for wiring steady timing into your hands. Here's a practice routine that works on any instrument.

Step 1: Start slower than feels comfortable

The most common mistake is starting near the target tempo. Your first goal is to play cleanly and land exactly on the click. Start at a tempo where you can play the passage three or four times in a row without a mistake — usually 50-70% of the final tempo. Only motions that are accurate slowly will be accurate fast.

If playing slowly feels boring, that's a good sign: it means your brain finally has time to check every movement.

Step 2: Use subdivisions to fill the gaps

At slow tempos the space between clicks gets long, which paradoxically makes it easier to drift. Subdivisions fix this. Instead of hearing only quarter-note clicks, subdivide into eighths or sixteenths — the space between beats fills up and your rhythm has nowhere to wobble.

Triplet subdivision is especially useful for swing feels and 6/8 pieces. The trick is to listen one level finer than the rhythm you're playing.

Step 3: Raise the BPM gradually — and only when earned

There's one rule for speeding up: increase the tempo a little, and only after several clean repetitions.

Play the passage 3-4 times in a row without mistakes before moving on.
Raise the BPM by only 2-5 at a time. Jumps of 10+ tend to wreck the accuracy you just built.
If the new tempo falls apart, drop back down without hesitation. It's not a setback — it's a deposit.
Note the tempo you end each session at, so you know exactly where to start next time.

Step 4: Loop only the hard bars

Repeating the whole piece top-to-bottom mostly makes the easy parts easier. Cut out the two or three bars that trip you up, loop them slowly, and only reconnect them to the surrounding bars once they're smooth. The metronome also exposes the classic habit of rushing or dragging only in that one spot.

Make it easier with Pulse Metronome

This routine means changing tempo constantly, and Pulse Metronome makes that as short as possible. Every time you press START, the tempo is saved to a preset automatically — switching between pieces and passages takes one tap. It supports quarter, eighth, triplet and sixteenth subdivisions with an accent on beat one, the click is generated sample-by-sample so the beat never drifts, and it keeps playing with the screen off.

Start today's practice on a precise beat

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