Choose which beats stand out
On this page
Use Accent, Normal, Soft and Mute to change the click support without changing the length of the bar.
What to listen for
Mute leaves a place in the bar. It does not shorten the bar or move the following downbeat.
Try the practice
Check the setup
- Meter
- 4/4
- Tempo
- 120 BPM · quarter note beats
- Subdivisions
- Main beats
- Swing
- Straight
- Accent sound
- On
- Beat pattern
- 1: Accent · 2: Normal · 3: Soft · 4: Mute
- Duration
- Stop after the stated task
- Count-in
- None
Opens in a new tab. Review the settings, then press Start when ready.
- Check the pattern: one Accent, two Normal, three Soft, four Mute. Start and say all four numbers for four bars.
- Clap all four beats, including the silent fourth. Listen to the different support on the first three.
- Stop and change only one beat state. Repeat the same count and compare what the new support changes.
Default accents and beat overrides
First and grouping beats are Accent by default. The Accents editor can explicitly set a beat to Accent, Normal, Soft or Mute. Accent sound changes whether every beat marked Accent uses the emphasized or regular click, including an explicit Accent override. Turning it off leaves the assignments unchanged. Normal, Soft and Mute retain their own states.
Each pattern position belongs to a meter-defined beat or group. Changing the meter can change the number of editable positions. Read the new bar before applying a pattern.
Compare clicks on two and four while counting all four beats. The silent one and three still occupy their full places.
What to check
Count through the muted position and meet the next one without shortening the last space.
When to simplify
Make beat four Normal again, or count without clapping. Remove support only after the full bar stays steady.
Gap metronome practice
Extend a silent position into a silent bar while keeping the complete count.
Try the next practice