DIE BASICS
Unbeatable Metronomes
These apps do much more than tick and tock in time. Change sounds, save presets, and even sync with your Apple Watch. Here are some especially great options to start grooving with.
For feeling a beat
Pro Metronome goes a step further than your typical beat keeper: It can trigger your camera’s flash and make your device vibrate with each downbeat. In Practice mode, you can make the tempo gradually increase—which comes in handy when you’re learning a new song. The Apple Watch app lets you modify the tempo and more from afar.
For simplicity
Sometimes you don’t need a lot of fancy features. Metronome - Beats & Tap Tempo offers sheer simplicity with a hint of nostalgia. One of its views replicates the look of an old-school mechanical metronome, and changing the tempo is as easy as swiping up or down.
For gigging
With various themes to choose from and fully customizable colors, Tempo is among the most beautiful metronomes. It’s also especially suited for performing live. Use it to create a playlist of tempos in advance for all the songs in your set.
For training
Time Guru Metronome has one of the best implementations of a feature known as random beat muting, where certain beats in a measure drop out at random. So instead of hearing a sound for all four beats in a measure, you might only get the first, third, and fourth for one measure, and the second, third, and fourth for the next. It’s a great way to strengthen your inner rhythm.
For beat masters
Beginners will be intimidated by all of the controls in Dr.Betotte TC, but advanced musicians will appreciate the app’s sheer power. Create incredibly complex rhythms and assign a specific sound to certain beats (each with its own volume slider). You also create polyrhythms and tuplets to your heart’s content.