How to Calculate the Beats Per Minute (BPM) of a Song
Listen to the song and pay close attention to the beat., Look at a clock with second hands.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Listen to the song and pay close attention to the beat.
The easiest way to do this is to close your eyes, relax, and feel the pulse of the song.
Tap your foot or your fingers or nod your head to this pulse.
If you have trouble with this, try to isolate the drums from the rest of the instruments and the vocal track.
If you are new to this, try first with the instrumental version of the song if it's available, as it'll make things easier. -
Step 2: Look at a clock with second hands.
Alternately, use a stopwatch (most phones have them).
When you're sure you've got the rhythm of the song happening, count those beats—your head nods, foot taps, or finger snaps—for 15 seconds.
Take the number of beats you counted, and multiply by 4 to get the number of beats in a whole minute.
For example, if you counted 24 beats in 15 seconds, multiply 24 by 4 =
96.
The song's tempo is 96BPM.
You multiply by four, because 60 seconds divided by 15 seconds =
4.
To increase accuracy, count beats for longer periods of time and calculate the rate accordingly.
Using the same song as in the previous example, if you counted for 30 seconds instead of, you might have counted 50 beats instead of 48, which means the tempo is just a little faster: 50 x 2 =
100. (Multiply by two because 60 seconds divided by 30 seconds =
2.)
Detailed Guide
The easiest way to do this is to close your eyes, relax, and feel the pulse of the song.
Tap your foot or your fingers or nod your head to this pulse.
If you have trouble with this, try to isolate the drums from the rest of the instruments and the vocal track.
If you are new to this, try first with the instrumental version of the song if it's available, as it'll make things easier.
Alternately, use a stopwatch (most phones have them).
When you're sure you've got the rhythm of the song happening, count those beats—your head nods, foot taps, or finger snaps—for 15 seconds.
Take the number of beats you counted, and multiply by 4 to get the number of beats in a whole minute.
For example, if you counted 24 beats in 15 seconds, multiply 24 by 4 =
96.
The song's tempo is 96BPM.
You multiply by four, because 60 seconds divided by 15 seconds =
4.
To increase accuracy, count beats for longer periods of time and calculate the rate accordingly.
Using the same song as in the previous example, if you counted for 30 seconds instead of, you might have counted 50 beats instead of 48, which means the tempo is just a little faster: 50 x 2 =
100. (Multiply by two because 60 seconds divided by 30 seconds =
2.)
About the Author
Brittany Scott
Committed to making lifestyle accessible and understandable for everyone.
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