What 80 BPM sounds like
Tempo marking: Andante · one beat every 750 ms
80 BPM is the tempo of an easy walk. It is the low end of Andante, relaxed but clearly moving, and it is one of the most useful tempos for building rhythm because it is slow enough to be accurate and fast enough to groove.
It is also the sweet spot for lo-fi hip-hop, which typically sits between 70 and 90 BPM with a swung sixteenth feel. If you are learning to strum, 80 BPM is a natural first target before moving up to 100 and 120.
Music at 80 BPM
- Lo-fi hip-hop: The chilled, swung grooves of lo-fi beats cluster around 75–85 BPM.
- Classic soul and Motown ballads: Mid-slow soul grooves with a strong backbeat.
- Slow rock and singer-songwriter: Acoustic strumming songs frequently sit at 80 BPM.
- Beginner strumming: Down-up eighth-note strumming at 80 BPM is a standard first strumming exercise.
Note lengths at 80 BPM
| Value | Duration | Per minute |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter note (1 beat) | 750 ms | 80 |
| Eighth note | 375 ms | 160 |
| Eighth-note triplet | 250 ms | 240 |
| Sixteenth note | 187.5 ms | 320 |
| Whole bar of 4/4 | 3000 ms | 20 |
How to practise at 80 BPM
- Guitarists: strum straight eighths (down-up) for four bars, then switch to a down, down-up, up-down-up pattern without changing tempo.
- Drummers: play a basic rock beat, then add ghost notes on the snare between beats; at 80 BPM you can hear every ghost note clearly.
- Pianists: practise left-hand accompaniment patterns in eighth notes while the right hand plays a simple melody.
- Use the swing feel of lo-fi as a listening exercise: play sixteenths straight, then slightly swung, and notice the difference.
Suggested metronome settings
- Subdivision: eighth notes, or sixteenths for lo-fi hi-hat patterns
- Accent: 4/4 straight
- Practice timer: 10 minutes per pattern
80 BPM FAQ
What tempo marking is 80 BPM?
Andante, the walking tempo, which usually spans about 76 to 108 BPM.
Is 80 BPM a good tempo to learn guitar strumming?
Yes. It is slow enough to keep down-up strokes even and fast enough that the pattern still sounds like a song.
How long is one beat at 80 BPM?
750 milliseconds. Eighth notes are 375 ms apart and sixteenths 187.5 ms.