节拍器是每个认真对待音乐的人都应该拥有的工具。
过去，您必须在机械或数字节拍器上花一大笔钱(pretty penny)，但在互联网和智能手机(internet and smartphones)时代，您可以简单地获得一些节拍器软件(metronome software)。
在这里，我们收集了一些最好的在线节拍器和节拍器应用程序，让您保持节拍。
节拍器的用途
万一你的音乐老师(music teacher)告诉你要买一个节拍器，但不知道为什么，让我们简要介绍一下它的用途。
从广义上讲，音乐有两个主要组成部分：旋律和节奏(melody and rhythm)。节拍器是一种可以帮助您处理后者的设备。它基本上是一种计时装置(timekeeping device)，可以产生稳定的节拍脉冲。音乐(Music)都有节奏和节奏模式，称为“拍号”(time signature)。温度只是音乐播放的速度。这是节拍器的主要工作。例如，如果您将其设置为每分钟 120 次 ( BPM )，则节拍器将在一分钟内滴答 120 次。
虽然机械节拍器只能提供稳定的节拍，但数字节拍器还可以提供更复杂的选项，例如提供与不同拍号对齐的节拍。
节拍器帮助音乐家培养与生俱来的时间感。它有助于抑制播放器加速和减速而不是持续播放的“摆动节拍”现象。
除了帮助您学习以一致的速度演奏之外，如果您想专业地录制您的音乐，拥有使用节拍器演奏的经验也很重要。录音工程师使用在您录音时播放的所谓“点击音轨”。
这有助于确保为多轨录音(multitrack recording)做出贡献的所有音乐家将彼此同步播放，即使他们是一个接一个地录制自己的部分。甚至有现场表演者通过他们的入耳式监听器使用观众听不到 的点击音轨！(click track)
Metronome+已经存在了很长时间，并且非常受欢迎是有原因的。在线节拍器应用程序(Metronome app)不再只是节拍器。还有其他有用的工具可用，例如录音机和半音调音器。但是，只有节拍器本身是免费的，并且在底部有一个小广告来帮助支持开发人员。
这对我们来说很好。如果你只想要一个节拍器，那么只需要看一个小广告就可以了。我们不满意的是你第一次打开应用程序时的全屏弹出视频(popup video)，但你是否能忍受这取决于你。
至于使用应用程序本身，它既直观又容易。您可以直接设置BPM，并且该应用程序会为您提供不同节奏（慢板、行板等）的正确名称，这样您就可以给老师留下深刻印象。
您可以使用“轻击”按钮(” button)快速确定您正在聆听或尝试播放的音乐的节奏。
Metronome+ plus 确实有隐藏的深度。只需(Simply)轻按设置按钮，您就可以对节拍进行几乎所有更改，包括拍号(time signature)。总的来说，对于绝大多数人来说，这是一个很好的选择。
Soundbrenner 声称(Soundbrenner claim)他们开发了“The Metronome”作为对所有平庸的节拍器在线(metronome online)应用程序的回应。根据（超过）50,000 条评论和五星级的平均水平，显然他们做对了(something right)。
该应用程序也是完全免费的，那有什么好处呢？事实证明，Soundbrenner还制作了可以与该应用程序配合使用的手表节拍器。因此，当您启动应用程序时，您会受到一些营销的影响。
如果您选择简单地使用该应用程序，您将获得一款外观最好的节拍器应用程序，您可以以任何价格获得。它具有音乐家需要的所有功能，例如节拍敲击(beat tapping)、拍号和音符细分。它还可以让您加载不同歌曲的预设。
这确实是我们见过的最好的在线节拍器应用程序之一，而且您不必忍受第三方广告这一事实令人震惊。强烈(Highly)推荐！
时间大师(Time Guru)不是免费的。您必须为拥有此应用程序的特权支付几美元，但如果您喜欢有点偏僻的解决方案，Time Guru可能非常值得这个小要价。
这与Soundbrenner 节拍器(Soundbrenner metronome)之类的东西之间的区别在于意图。Soundbrenner节拍器(Soundbrenner metronome)旨在成为最优雅、最核心的节拍器。Time Guru也可以用作普通节拍器，但它有一些简洁的功能可以更好地帮助您培养准确的时间感。
例如，您可以选择随机静音节拍作为挑战自己的一种方式，并确保即使在节拍器(metronome isn)没有帮助的情况下也能保持时间。虽然界面有点笨拙且没有吸引力，但这些聪明的功能可能正是学生努力完善他们的时间感所需要(time need)的。
有时越简单越好。当您输入某些搜索字词时， Google(Google)会弹出许多小工具。例如，当您在Google 搜索(Google search)中输入“计算器”时，搜索结果顶部会出现一个功能齐全的计算器工具。(calculator tool)如果您正在快速寻找节拍器，您可以使用附近带有浏览器和互联网连接的设备找到一个。
它也适用于移动浏览器。我们使用移动Chrome 应用程序(Chrome app)进行了尝试，这意味着您的口袋里总是有一个免费的在线节拍器。(online metronome)
节拍器本身非常基础。您选择一个BPM 编号(BPM number)并单击播放。据我们所知，它非常一致，但是当您不知道要演奏的乐曲的确切节拍时，欢迎使用节奏敲击或点击功能。(tapping or clicking function)尽管如此，在音乐紧急情况下，它仍然是一个很好的工具，可以放在你的后兜里(back pocket)。
及时(Just In Time)
软件节拍器(software metronome)能否替代机械或专用电子模型？音乐家之间会有很多分歧，但每个解决方案都有它的位置。软件节拍器(software metronome)的主要弱点是它们可能会受到它们运行的系统的影响。因此，例如，如果您的手机没有很多免费资源，它可能很难为您提供一致的节拍。
另一方面，我们在上面测试过的所有节拍器在线应用程序都执行了基本的计时功能，正如我们人类所知道的那样。就他们的主要工作而言——帮助你培养良好的节奏感，毫无疑问，一个好的软件节拍器(software metronome)就可以了。
4 Metronome Online & Mobile Apps & Why They’re Useful
A metronome is a tool that should be in the toolkit of eνery person who is serious about music.
It used to be that you’d have to spend a pretty penny on a mechanical or digital metronome, but in the age of the internet and smartphones it’s possible to simply get some metronome software instead.
Here we’ve rounded up some of the best online metronomes and metronome apps to keep you on the beat.
What A Metronome Is Used For
Just in case you’ve been told by your music teacher to get a metronome, but have no real idea why, let’s go over its uses briefly.
Broadly, music has two main components: melody and rhythm. A metronome is a device that helps you with the latter. It’s basically a timekeeping device that generates a steady pulse of beats. Music both has a tempo and a rhythmic pattern known as a “time signature”. The temp is simply how fast the music is played. This is the main job a metronome does. If you, for example, set it to 120 beats per minute (BPM) the metronome will tick 120 times in a minute.
While mechanical metronomes only provide steady ticks, digital metronomes can also offer more complex options, such as providing beats that align with different time signatures.
Metronomes help musicians to develop an innate sense of timing. It helps curb the phenomenon of “swinging the beat” where the player speeds up and slows down rather than playing consistently.
Apart from helping you learn to play at a consistent speed, if you want to record your music professionally it’s important to have experience playing with a metronome. Recording engineers use a so-called “click track” that plays while you record.
This helps ensure that all the musicians contributing to a multitrack recording will play in sync with each other, even if they are recording their parts one-by-one. There are even live performers who use a click track through their in-ear monitors that the audience can’t hear!
Metronome+ has been around for ages and is incredibly popular for a reason. The online Metronome app is no longer just a metronome. There are additional useful tools available such as a recorder and chromatic tuner. However, only the metronome itself is free and has a small advert at the bottom to help support the developers.
That’s fine by us. If you only want a metronome then having to look at one tiny ad is OK. What we aren’t happy with is the full-screen popup video when you first open the app, but whether you can tolerate that is up to you.
As for using the app itself, it’s both intuitive and easy. You can set the BPM directly and, helpfully, the app gives you the proper name for the different tempos (adagio, andante,etc) so you can impress your teacher.
You can use the “tap” button to quickly figure out the tempo of music you’re listening to or trying to play along with.
Metronome+ plus does have hidden depths however. Simply tap the settings button and you can make just about every change you could want to the beat, including the time signature. Overall, this is an excellent choice for the vast majority of people.
Soundbrenner claim that they developed “The Metronome” as a response to all the mediocre metronome online applications out there. Based on the (over) 50,000 reviews and a five-star average, clearly they did something right.
The app is also completely free, so what gives? It turns out that Soundbrenner also makes wristwatch metronomes that can work with the app. So when you fire the app up, you’ll have a bit of marketing thrown at you.
If you choose to simply use the app, you’ll be met with one of the nicest-looking metronome apps you can get for any price. It has all the functions a musician would need, such as beat tapping, time signatures and note subdivisions. It also lets you load up presets for different songs.
This really is one of the best online metronome apps we’ve seen and the fact that you don’t have to put up with third-party advertising is staggering. Highly recommended!
Time Guru is not free. You’ll have to pay a few dollars for the privilege of owning this app, but if you like solutions that are a little left of field, Time Guru might be well worth the small asking price.
The difference between this and something like the Soundbrenner metronome is in intention. The Soundbrenner metronome aims to be the most elegant, core metronome it can be. Time Guru can work as a normal metronome as well, but it has a few neat features that do a better job of helping you develop an accurate sense of time.
For example, you can choose to randomly mute beats as a way to challenge yourself and ensure you can keep time even when the metronome isn’t helping. While the interface is a little clunky and unattractive, these clever features might just be what students struggling to perfect their sense of time need.
Sometimes simpler is better. Google has a great many little tools that pop up when you type in certain search terms. For example, when you type “calculator” into Google search, there will be a fully functional calculator tool at the top of the search results. If you’re looking for a metronome quickly, you can just find one using a nearby device with a browser and an internet connection.
It works on mobile browsers as well. We tried it using the mobile Chrome app, which means you always have a free online metronome in your pocket.
The metronome itself is extremely basic. You choose a BPM number and click play. As far as we can tell, it’s pretty consistent, but a rhythm tapping or clicking function would have been welcome for those times you don’t know the exact beat of the piece you’re trying to play. Still, it’s a good tool to keep in your back pocket in case of musical emergency.
Just In Time
Can a software metronome ever be a replacement for a mechanical or dedicated electronic model? There’s going to be a lot of disagreement among musicians, but each solution has its place. The main weakness of software metronomes is that they can be affected by the system they run on. So if you have a phone that doesn’t have many free resources, for example, it might struggle to provide you with a consistent beat.
On the other hand, all of the metronome online apps we tested above each one performed the basic function of timekeeping as well as we could humanly tell. In terms of their main job – helping you develop a good sense of rhythm, there’s not doubt a good software metronome will be just fine.
