Rhythm
Tempo
The speed of the musical beat.
In plain English
Tempo tells you how quickly beats pass. It is often measured in beats per minute, shortened to bpm.
Try or listen for this
At 60 bpm there is one beat each second; at 120 bpm there are two.
Why it matters
Tempo affects difficulty, feel, and the amount of time available for every movement.
Watch
See tempo in practice.
Practise
Practise tempo by instrument.
Choose the version closest to the instrument you are working on. These are exercise videos, so they sit separately from the main explanation.
Drums
Drum tempo exercise
Use this to practise keeping a steady tempo through drum patterns.
Bass guitar
Bass tempo exercise
Use this to connect tempo control to bass movement and groove.
Acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar tempo exercise
Use this to keep strumming or picking steady against a pulse.
Electric guitar
Electric guitar tempo exercise
Use this to practise tempo control with electric guitar parts.
Piano
Piano tempo exercise
Use this to connect steady tempo to keyboard coordination.
Clap along
Clap-along tempo exercise
Use this away from the instrument to feel the beat in your body first.