60 BPM Metronome

What 60 BPM sounds like

Tempo marking: Larghetto · one beat every 1000 ms

60 beats per minute is exactly one beat per second, the same rate as the second hand of a clock. That makes it the easiest tempo to internalise: if you can count seconds, you can count 60 BPM. It also matches a typical resting heart rate, which is why it feels calm and grounded.

For teachers it is the default starting tempo for new students. Every subdivision lines up with a round number: eighth notes every 500 ms, sixteenths every 250 ms, triplets every 333 ms. You can hear whether a subdivision is even without any guesswork.

Music at 60 BPM

• Beginner practice: First scales, first chord changes and first rhythm exercises almost always start at 60 BPM.
• Slow ballads: Piano and vocal ballads that breathe between phrases often sit between 60 and 70 BPM.
• Larghetto and Adagio movements: Slow classical movements marked Larghetto or Adagio are commonly performed near 60 BPM.
• Timing and rhythm tests: Because each beat is one second, 60 BPM is the standard reference for checking how steady your internal clock is.

Note lengths at 60 BPM

How to practise at 60 BPM

• Play a scale with one note per click, then two per click, then four. Each step doubles the notes without changing the tempo.
• Try the "silent beat" drill: play with the click for two bars, mute it for two bars, and see whether you land with it when it returns.
• Use 60 BPM as the halfway point for any piece that performs at 120 BPM; every rhythm stays in the same relationship, just twice as slow.
• Set a 15-minute practice timer for focused slow work before moving on to tempo.

Suggested metronome settings

• Subdivision: quarter notes to start, then eighths once the pulse is steady
• Accent: first beat, 4/4
• Sound: click for clarity, woodblock if you find the click harsh at slow tempos

60 BPM FAQ

Related tempos

• 50 BPMOne step slower
• 70 BPMOne step faster
• 120 BPMDouble time
• Any tempoOnline metronome with tap tempo