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How to Get the BPM of My Music

BPM is an acronym that stands for beats per minute. A specific BPM makes it easier for the performer to know the precise tempo the composer wants from the music. Before the invention of the metronome, specifying an exact BPM was not possible. Composers used generic tempo indications such as “presto” for extremely fast musical works and “grave” for extremely slow works. Today, composers still indicate tempo and mood with tempo markings and commonly add metronome markings for clarity.

Step 1

Start the music and tap your foot to the beat. The beat is a steady pulse that people can walk or dance to.

Step 2

Press the timer on the stopwatch and count the number of beats in 20 seconds.

Step 3

Multiply the number of beats in 20 seconds by three. This will give you the beats per minute.

Tips


Use an online tool to help calculate tempo by tapping the beat into a beat calculator.



References


Dummies; How to Calculate a Tune's Beats Per Minute and Adjust Pitch; John Steventon [http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-calculate-a-tunes-beats-per-minute-and-adju.html]
Resources (Further Reading)

All8: Tap for Beats Per Minute BPM [http://www.all8.com/tools/bpm.htm]
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